PRIME MINISTER

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what the dates and duration of his meetings with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland have been in the last 12 months.

David Cameron: I have met the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on a number of occasions in London and in Northern Ireland and am also regularly updated on the policing and security situation in Northern Ireland.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Prime Minister how many public appointments No. 10 Downing Street made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Public Houses: Opening Hours

Julian Huppert: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with the (a) Secretary of State for the Home Department and (b) Minister for Crime Prevention before stating on social media on 3 February 2014 that the Government would consult with the pub trade, police and councils on having extended pub opening hours on 14 June 2014.

David Cameron: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues and others.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implications of UK policy on changes in Northern Ireland voter registration statistics in the last three years.

Theresa Villiers: A range of factors contributed to the improvement in Northern Ireland voter registration statistics in 2013. The most important were:
	The use of an electoral canvass to improve the accuracy of the register. The register was estimated to be 78% accurate in 2012. The update made possible by the recent electoral canvass is expected to deliver an accuracy level of around the same as that produced by previous canvasses (94.3%);
	Technical improvements to data-matching in Northern Ireland and the retention of names on the Northern Ireland register, where it was possible to confirm through data-matching that the details on the register were likely to be correct. This increased the comprehensiveness of the register by about 8%.
	Confirmation data-matching and canvass activity will be used as part of the transition to individual electoral registration in Great Britain.

Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assets her Department has sold in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the value of each such sale was.

Theresa Villiers: Because of the devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, and subsequent reconfiguration of the Northern Ireland Office, my Department does not hold figures for the periods prior to 2010; attempting to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	From 12 April 2010 to date, my Department has not sold any assets in Northern Ireland.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many public appointments her Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W, by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

WALES

Floods

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on lessons learned from water management in the Gwent Levels for other flood prone areas in Wales.

David Jones: I discussed matters relating to flooding during my recent bilateral meeting with the First Minister.
	As a devolved matter it is for the Welsh Government to assess how it manages flood-risks in Wales. It is, however, important to share experiences and evidence of land management measures, such as drainage and planting, in order to ensure that communities on both sides of the border are protected.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Stephen Crabb: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), Official Report, column 301W.

SCOTLAND

Children: Poverty

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the level of child poverty in Scotland.

David Mundell: The latest Child Poverty Strategy report from the Scottish Government published in September 2013 shows that both relative child poverty and absolute child poverty are at their lowest rate in Scotland since 1994-95.
	Statistics released in June 2013 show how the number of children in workless poor families has reduced by 100,000 children over the past year, a 2% reduction.

Job Creation: Private Sector

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the level of private sector job creation in Scotland.

David Mundell: Latest official statistics show that in Q3 2013 there were 1,968,900 people employed in the private sector in Scotland, an increase of 75,800 (4.0%) over the year, and up 107,600 from when this Government came into power.
	This more than makes up for the decrease in public sector jobs, of 37,900 since 2010.
	Private sector employment in Scotland accounts for 77.3% of total employment; the highest proportion seen since the series began in 1999.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), Official Report, 5 February 2014, column 301W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Conditions of Employment

John Cryer: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether full-time employees of the House Service are required to have a separate contract if they are also employed by the House on a zero hours contract.

John Thurso: House employees may volunteer to take on an additional role with the House which is not part of their main job or prejudicial to it. Such extra work is normally offered and declined or accepted on an “as and when” basis and there is no obligation on either side to offer, or to accept, work.
	When House employees are taken on as tour guides, they are paid per tour (not by time worked). Substantive employees may take on duties, provided that:
	their line manager approves the extra work; and
	they either perform the extra work outside contractual working hours or while on annual leave; if they perform the extra work while “not required on post” in their substantive job, they will not receive extra pay, because that time is already paid.
	The employee is required to sign an undertaking on the terms applying to the additional optional work.

Parliamentary Tours

John Cryer: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether Palace of Westminster guides are contractors or employees of the House of Commons Commission.

John Thurso: Tour guides for Member-sponsored tours of the Palace of Westminster are paid per tour and divide into two categories:
	i. Current employees who conduct tours as an addition to their regular jobs and hours.
	ii. Others who work on a casual basis and who are paid through the payroll; these are predominantly retired House staff. There is no obligation on either side to offer, or to accept, work.
	Paid-for tours are currently delivered by Blue Badge Guides, who are contractors rather than employees and are paid by the day or half day under a contract secured by public tender.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Arrests: Young People

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged 14 to 24 years classified as having complex needs have been arrested in (a) total and (b) each region since May 2010.

Damian Green: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Crime: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of trends in the level of crime in (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Home Office holds data on crime for police force areas (PFA) and community safety partnerships (CSPs), but not for parliamentary constituencies. The overall number of offences (excluding fraud) recorded in Essex PFA and Chelmsford CSP in each of the last five years is shown in the table provided.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes quarterly statistics on crime. As part of this, a set of open data tables is published, showing crime at police force area and community safety partnership level. These contain the data requested, and can be found using the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
	
		
			 Total offences in Chelmsford CSP and Essex PFA in each of the last five years to September 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Chelmsford CSP 8,754 8,775 8,814 8,549 8,535 
			 Essex PFA 106,943 102,577 101,924 99,924 99,154 
			 Note: The recording of fraud offences has moved from police forces to Action Fraud in recent years. The number of crimes shown excludes fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons over time.

Drugs: Misuse

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2014, Official Report, column 647, on psychoactive substances, if she will list the 250 new psychoactive substances banned since May 2010;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 26W, on drugs: misuse, if she will list the members of the expert advisory panel on new psychoactive substances who have been appointed to date;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2014, Official Report, column 647, on psychoactive substances, what public awareness campaigns her Department has undertaken to alert young people to the dangers of new psychoactive substances.

Norman Baker: holding answer 3 February 2014
	We have banned over 250 substances since 2010, including those already seen in the United Kingdom and emerging substances which have not yet been encountered, through the use of generic definitions. The generic definitions that describe the substances that have been banned can be found in paragraphs (aa), (ab), (ac), (c) and (d) of part 2, schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	I will announce members of the expert panel for the Home Office review into new psychoactive substances shortly.
	From July to October last year, the Home Office ran a communications activity targeted at young people to inform them of the harms and consequences of new psychoactive substances. This activity was carefully directed at those searching for these drugs online or looking to go to parties, clubs and festivals where these drugs are often consumed. The activity included radio advertisement and partnership channels. Adverts directed young people to the Government’s drug awareness website, FRANK, to find out about the effects, harms and consequences of new psychoactive substances.

Drugs: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the availability of legal highs on the high street.

Norman Baker: I have been in recent correspondence with my counterpart in Northern Ireland regarding the review I am leading into new psychoactive substances or so called ‘legal highs', and to provide an update on other Home Office activity such as the concerted enforcement action that started in November 2013 and has so far resulted in 44 arrests and seizures of quantities of new psychoactive substances.
	There have also been discussions regarding the availability of new psychoactive substances at official level including through the Home Office's Forensic Early Warning System project and at meetings of the Sectoral Group on the Misuse of Drugs of the British-Irish Council.

Drugs: Prosecutions

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for supply of each legal high subject to temporary banning orders have been brought in the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which proceedings are brought. It is not possible to identify from this centrally-held information prosecutions for supply of legal highs subject to temporary banning orders from those for supply of other drugs subject to temporary banning orders.

European Commission

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will set out her Department's priorities for discussions with the European Commission over their 2014 Work Programme; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 625W, by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington).

Firearms: Licensing

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received from the Association of Chief Police Officers on the cost of licensing firearms;
	(2)  what the cost of (a) administering firearms licenses and (b) income from firearms licenses was in each police force in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The National Policing Lead for Firearms has recently written to me about a number of issues relating to firearms including the cost of the licensing process. He has expressed concerns about the disparity between administration costs and income. I will be meeting with him shortly.
	The most recent assessment of the cost of the firearms licensing process was undertaken by the Association of Chief Police Officers in 2009-10. Their report estimated that the gross cost to forces was £23.6 million and the income received was £6.4 million. Time required to measure the cost meant that the calculation was based on a sample of forces.
	There has been no full assessment of the impact on each of the 43 individual forces, but if the £17.2 million shortfall were applied evenly, that would suggest an average net cost to each force of £400,000 in 2009-10. I remain committed to addressing this disparity, which is unsustainable other than in the short term.

Fixed Penalties

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in each region in the UK in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; for what offences such notices were given; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Available data relate to fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued by the police in England and Wales in 2010 and 2011 and were published in the most recent Home Office statistical release on Police Powers and Procedures, available online via:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112
	For easy reference, breakdowns by region and offence group are shown in the tables. Data for 2012 are scheduled to be published in April 2014. Data on FPNs issued by police in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Government.
	How road traffic law is enforced in individual cases is an operational matter for the police. Whether or not an offer of a fixed penalty notice for an alleged road traffic offence is accepted is entirely a matter for the recipient. Payment of the fixed penalty notice discharges any liability to conviction for the offence and does not acquire a criminal record. The recipient is free to decline a fixed penalty notice offer and contest the matter in court.
	
		
			 Number of substantive fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for motoring offences issued in England and Wales in 2010 and 2011, by region 
			 England and Wales 
			  Number issued in 2010 by region 
			 Offence grouping North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands West Midlands East of England London South East South West Wales Total 
			 Careless driving (excluding use of mobile phone when driving) 204 586 459 200 256 448 148 457 372 268 3,398 
			 Use of hand-held mobile phone while driving 4,741 23,311 14,619 8,611 11,294 17,171 8,177 18,398 9,185 9,221 124,728 
			 Driving licence related offences 136 879 882 447 389 964 1,871 1,409 527 183 7,687 
			 Vehicle insurance offences 248 2,690 2,811 1,647 1,326 3,976 2,382 4,263 1,920 933 22,196 
			 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 388 4,492 5,603 2,000 2,461 5,401 4,077 5,983 13,344 2,079 45,828 
			 Vehicle test offences 352 11,251 7,166 3,362 1,746 13,165 2,136 9,413 5,816 1,062 55,469 
			 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 753 2,984 4,405 1,854 1,477 3,062 1,808 2,433 1,666 1,435 21,877 
			 Speed limit offences 32,047 132,770 76,425 67,080 125,234 137,570 26,276 158,635 162,413 68,294 986,744 
			 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 8 1,147 547 118 210 192 128 759 131 41 3,281 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 5,670 20,656 15,183 19,659 12,263 14,639 24,131 15,823 13,993 6,162 148,179 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 465 2,216 1,119 343 707 509 550 923 1,204 570 8,606 
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 7,217 22,170 17,882 19,761 12,905 27,150 14,444 19,319 10,461 48,084 199,393 
			 Lighting offences 396 4,006 2,202 676 508 1,480 4,520 1,455 971 954 17,168 
		
	
	
		
			 Noise offences 28 419 116 23 123 467 101 312 443 109 2,141 
			 Load offences 66 2,421 978 463 179 838 1,450 1,162 964 301 8,822 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 30 134 103 46 48 117 322 143 110 39 1,092 
			 Miscellaneous motoring offences (excluding seat belt offences) 4 195 316 95 763 495 2,824 186 801 460 6,139 
			 Seat belt offences 3,557 36,891 18,867 8,228 11,058 25,036 17,547 30,461 13,502 11,256 176,403 
			 Total all offences 56,310 269,218 169,683 134,613 182,947 252,680 112,892 271,534 237,823 151,451 1,839,151 
		
	
	
		
			 England and Wales 
			  Number issued in 2011 by region 
			 Offence grouping North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands West Midlands East of England London South East South West Wales Total 
			 Use offences involving careless driving (excluding use of hand-held mobile phone when driving) 118 574 348 168 181 238 337 461 287 268 2,980 
			 Use of hand-held mobile phone while driving 3,731 20,662 12,161 7,710 9,729 15,764 14,590 15,161 7,998 8,638 116,144 
			 Driving licence related offences 103 899 925 422 407 1,075 2,677 1,407 455 186 8,556 
			 Vehicle insurance offences 201 3,136 2,976 1,649 1,086 3,726 3,864 3,802 1,722 837 22,999 
			 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 657 4,127 4,135 1,500 1,754 4,306 5,217 5,064 11,507 1,454 39,721 
			 Work record or employment offences1 3 2,441 342 764 19 1,192 0 723 869 834 7,187 
			 Vehicle test offences 341 9,041 7,105 3,111 1,226 14,266 5,593 9,996 5,072 1,047 56,798 
			 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 649 2,763 2,856 1,411 1,468 2,874 3,813 2,844 1,360 1,576 21,614 
			 Speed limit offences 30,236 110,382 73,030 65,682 90,076 97,954 35,128 138,226 88,658 49,260 778,632 
			 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 4 951 495 115 146 217 136 899 113 43 3,119 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 5,360 16,925 12,730 17,592 8,290 10,380 19,793 13,399 8,283 5,377 118,129 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 369 1,851 1,178 288 827 477 658 833 1,464 493 8,438 
		
	
	
		
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 4,060 14,647 13,648 13,966 10,963 23,542 10,928 15,454 11,002 22,216 140,426 
			 Lighting offences 219 3,111 1,500 390 364 1,075 5,248 1,444 955 655 14,961 
			 Noise offences 29 399 80 33 59 551 112 234 318 64 1,879 
			 Load offences 67 2,518 693 704 211 1,463 1,217 1,162 864 504 9,403 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 29 172 103 50 59 118 533 129 124 26 1,343 
			 Miscellaneous motoring offences (excluding seat belt offences) 2 175 173 106 1,228 695 3,016 93 218 191 5,897 
			 Seat belt offences 5,337 28,648 16,830 7,180 7,299 17,815 19,843 27,427 11,566 9,893 151,838 
			 Total all offences 51,515 223,422 151,308 122,841 135,392 197,728 132,703 238,758 152,835 103,562 1,510,064 
			 1 Data on FPNs for this offence grouping were collected by the Home Office for the first time in 2011.

Forced Marriage

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forced marriages have been recorded in the UK in the last five years for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) captures the number of reports they receive relating to possible forced marriage cases.
	The following is a breakdown of reported cases relating to a possible forced marriage received by the FMU from 2008-12:
	In 2008, a total of 1618 reports were received;
	In 2009, a total of 1682 reports were received;
	In 2010, a total of 1735 reports were received;
	In 2011, a total of 1468 reports were received;
	In 2012, a total of 1485 reports were received.
	2013 figures are currently being compiled and will be published shortly.

Human Trafficking

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many identified victims of human trafficking received funded support in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	The Ministry of Justice is able to provide information on the numbers of victims supported with Government funding since the start of the current contract with the Salvation Army on 1 July 2011. Equivalent information before that date and the current integrated support contract, is not available.
	Between July 2011 and December 2011, 192 victims received support via the contract. In 2012 it was 452.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many officers are currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in relation to complaints of excessive use of force;
	(2)  how many investigations into individual complaints of excessive use of force have been undertaken by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many investigations the Independent Police Complaints Commission has abandoned due to the officer or officers under investigation leaving the police force in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: holding answer 6 February 2014
	This information is not held centrally. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will write to my hon. Friend and I will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to secure the long-term future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Norman Baker: Further to the Home Secretary's announcement to the House last week about the Home Office's commitment to continue funding the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
	I am pleased to confirm that the Home Office will provide specific funding of £136,000 for the Unit in each of the next two financial years to ensure that the Unit can continue its important work. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be providing the same amount of funding for the Unit over the next two financial years.
	The coalition Government takes the issue of wildlife crime, both domestically and internationally, very seriously.

Offences Against Children

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions under section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 there were in cases where the victim was aged (i) under 13 and (ii) 14 to 17 in each year from 2010-11 to 2012-13.

Jeremy Wright: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the abhorrent crime of child sexual exploitation. The Minister for Crime Prevention Norman Baker is leading a national group to tackle sexual violence against children and vulnerable people. On 24 July 2013, the Government published a progress report and action plan on the work of the National Group on Sexual Violence Against Children and Vulnerable People. The documents set out activity already delivered by Government and an action plan to take forward activity identified by the Group.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for offences under Section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2012 calendar years (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Please note: Section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, only states the victims' age of being under 13, under 16 and 16 or 17.
	Court Proceeding data for calendar year 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for offences under Section 47 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, England and Wales, 2010-121,2,3 
			 Outcome Statute Section Offence 2010 2011 2012 
			 Proceeded against Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.47(1)(a), (b) & (c)(ii), (2), (3 ) & (6) Paying for sex with a male/female child under 13—penetration * * 2 
			  Sexual Offences Act 2004 S.47(1)(c)(i), (2) & (4)(b) & S.47(1)(c)(i), (2), (4)(a) & (6) Paying for sex with a male/female child under 16—no penetration and penetration 2 9 2 
			  Sexual Offences Act 2005 S.47(1)(a), (b), (c)(i), (2) & (5) Paying for sex with a female/male child 16 or 17 1 1 2 
			        
			 Found guilty Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.47(1)(a), (b) & (c)(ii), (2), (3 ) & (6) Paying for sex with a male/female child under 13—penetration 1 * 1 
			  Sexual Offences Act 2004 S.47(1)(c)(i), (2) & (4)(b) & S.47(1)(c)(i), (2), (4)(a) & (6) Paying for sex with a male/female child under 16—no penetration and penetration 2 5 12 
			  Sexual Offences Act 2005 S.47(1)(a), (b), (c)(i), (2) & (5) Paying for sex with a female/male child 16 or 17 * * 3 
			 “*” = Nil 1 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 The number of defendants found guilty in a particular year may exceed the number proceeded against as the proceedings in the magistrates court took place in an earlier year and the defendants were found guilty at the Crown Court in the following year; or the defendants were found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Police

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received on establishing a national pricing scale for charges by local police authorities for policing of commercial public events; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  what recent representations she has received on the charges levied by local police authorities for policing of commercial public events; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(3)  what recent representations she has received on the different level of charges levied by local police authorities for policing of commercial public events; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Damian Green: We have received no recent formal representations on the level of charges levied by Police and Crime Commissioners, or in respect of a national pricing scale.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that police and crime commissioners engage with the College of Policing.

Damian Green: The College of Policing are already regularly engaging with Police and Crime Commissioners on a wide range of issues and three Police and Crime Commissioners sit on the College board.

Police: Defibrillators

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police cars are equipped with defibrillators.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.

Police: Recruitment

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what bursaries and financial assistance her Department makes available to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to attain the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not provide any bursaries or financial assistance to applicants wishing to attain the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing. Those wishing to undertake this qualification can access funding if they are:
	(i) 18 and under;
	(ii) 23 and under and this is their first level 3 qualification;
	(iii) unemployed; and
	(iv) ex-military personnel.
	Other people can access a student loan to cover the cost of the fees, which is not repayable until they are earning £21,000.
	It is open to forces to put in place arrangements to address local circumstances. For example, I understand that the Metropolitan Police Service, from early 2014, will be offering financial support with the cost of the certificate in the form of an interest free loan. Financial support will be available on the basis of London residency and means tested household income.
	Further and higher education providers, as well as independent providers, will obtain a licence from the College of Policing to deliver the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing course and may offer grants or loans to individual students through the skills agency.

Proceeds of Crime

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many financial investigators are currently accredited; and which such investigators are accredited for (a) confiscation orders, (b) civil recovery, (c) cash seizure litigation and (d) intelligence.

Damian Green: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Government's commitment to give due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making new policy and legislation, if she will place in the Library all assessments of how new policy and legislation from her Department since January 2013 has given due consideration to the UNCRC.

James Brokenshire: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, columns 38-39W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information is made available to members of the public about individual recipients of environmental stewardship grants from Natural England.

Dan Rogerson: Information on the land covered by Environmental Stewardship agreements is published by Natural England on the Magic website
	www.magic.gov.uk
	which provides geographic information about the natural environment from across Government. For all agreements, this includes the agreement reference number, the scheme it is under, the start date of the agreement and the total area (in hectares) under the agreement. In addition, for those agreements where the agreement holder is not a private individual or sole trader, the name of the agreement holder, the total cost of the agreement and the amount paid to date is also provided. This is in line with current EU regulations on the publication of recipients of EU payments.

Flood Control

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will establish a national review of flood defence mechanisms.

Dan Rogerson: The Government has no current plans to establish such a national review.

Floods: Somerset

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to building wind-powered pumps to assist water management on the Somerset levels; and whether he has had discussions with his Dutch counterpart on the use of such pumps in the Netherlands.

Dan Rogerson: We have had no discussions directly with the Government of the Netherlands on this issue. The Somerset Levels and Moors Action Plan, which is currently under development, will consider a range of options for improving the long term resilience of the area.

Food Poverty

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on food poverty; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: holding answer 3 February 2014
	There is no official definition of food poverty. The issues are complex and encompass economic, social and environmental influences. A single measure of “food poverty” would not be able to reflect the multi-faceted aspects of this issue.
	The Government knows that some of the poorest families are struggling to afford to feed themselves. While it is not the Government's role to control the price of food, the impact of food price inflation is a real concern for the Government.
	Through a range of policies that promote a growing, resilient and sustainable food and farming sector the Government is supporting the sector to meet the needs of consumers. For example, we work internationally to promote transparency, open global markets and a competitive domestic market to help producers and retailers offer the best prices to consumers.
	Food inflation fell to an annual rate of 1.9% in the year to December, down from 2.8% in November. Food inflation is now below general inflation at 2.0%, which fell from 2.1% in November.

Insecticides

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to control the sale and use of chlorpyrifos.

Dan Rogerson: Plant protection products (essentially agricultural and horticultural pesticides) may not be placed on the market or used unless they have been authorised by Ministers. Authorisations include statutory conditions of use which must be followed to ensure that these products are used safely.
	Chlorpyrifos is an active substance approved under Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 for use in plant protection products. Products which contain it must be authorised before being placed on the market or used and chlorpyrifos products are restricted to professional users only. Products which were already on the market under national rules at the time of the European Union active substance approval are being reassessed, to confirm that they meet the authorisation requirements of Regulation (EC) 1107/2009. Following that reassessment, authorisations will be confirmed, amended or withdrawn as necessary.

Motorways: Eastleigh

Mike Thornton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people live within the 75 decibel noise contour of each motorway in Eastleigh constituency.

Dan Rogerson: From the 2012 noise mapping results it is estimated that, in the Eastleigh constituency, there are:
	(a) 50 people living in the vicinity of the M3; and
	(b) 150 people living in the vicinity of the M27,
	who are exposed to 75 dB (LA10,18h) or above due to road traffic noise. The values are rounded to the nearest 50.

Poultry

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of maceration in UK hatcheries;
	(2)  if he will take steps to encourage greater use of carbon dioxide-based methods of male chick disposal at UK hatcheries.

George Eustice: In the UK, most hatcheries now routinely use gas to kill surplus male chicks rather than maceration.
	The Government encourages the highest standard of animal welfare and has in place legislation that ensures animals are treated humanely, including when they are killed.

River Kennet

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will publish the results of the investigation into the pollution of 15km of the River Kennet following the release of chlorpyrifos into that river at Marlborough in 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency is carrying out a comprehensive programme of ecological monitoring, including invertebrate and fish surveys. This is to assess the impacts and recovery of the River Kennet following the pollution incident in July 2013. This monitoring programme began during the incident and was repeated two weeks later. It was used to highlight the effects of the pollution on the water's macro-invertebrates.
	In October 2013 the Environment Agency began the first of a series of recovery surveys. The evidence from its most recent surveys demonstrates many of the affected invertebrates, with the exception of freshwater shrimps, are recovering. Specific monitoring of these animals will commence later this month. The Environment Agency will share the results of survey work with all interested parties.
	The next of these surveys is due now, but we are waiting for river levels to drop before these can be done. These surveys will continue quarterly until August 2014, when a review will be carried out to assess the need for continued monitoring of the recovery of the river.

River Kennet

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made in discussions with Thames Water on ending over-abstraction from the River Kennet; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Dan Rogerson: The abstraction reductions in the River Kennet catchment are included in Thames Water's draft water resources management plan, to be implemented by 2017. This plan was recently referred to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), for his decision on the next steps.
	Thames Water has included measures to manage the abstraction reductions in its business plan submission to Ofwat.

Water: Meters

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of water meters in reducing housing water bills.

Dan Rogerson: Many households would see bills fall with the installation of a meter, others, notably large households in properties with low rateable values, would be likely to see their bills increase to reflect their actual water consumption. We want companies to do more to promote metering to those who would benefit.
	When Southern Water assessed its compulsory metering plan it calculated that 57% of customers would see a reduction in their bill with 43% seeing an increase. Across its customer base the typical range is between a £100 increase or a £100 decrease in the household bill, although there will be outliers.

Water: Meters

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to promote the use of water meters.

Dan Rogerson: The Government wants water companies to do more to promote metering to those who would benefit, but some struggling customers would see their bills rise.
	All water companies are required to fit a meter, on request, free of charge for household customers. All companies provide information on each household customer bill about how to get a meter fitted. Since 1999 any new build property is fitted with a meter. All non-household customers are charged by meter. Where an area is seriously water-stressed, companies can use universal metering as one way of reducing demand, but other options may be more appropriate in some regions.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

HMS Victory

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how Lord Lingfield's name was spelt on all documentation regarding his application to her Department regarding the future of HMS Victory 1744.

Edward Vaizey: Correspondence received from Lord Lingfield has been spelt Lord Lingfield or Sir Robert Balchin.

HMS Victory

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what due diligence her Department conducted regarding the genealogy of Lord Lingfield and his request to raise HMS Victory 1744.

Edward Vaizey: The genealogy of Lord Lingfield is irrelevant to the future management of HMS Victory 1744 so no such investigations were made.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2014, Official Report, column 88W, on mobile telephones, what steps she will take on what timeframe to provide a gaining-provider-led system for mobile contract switching.

Edward Vaizey: The Government and the independent regulator, Ofcom, have identified simplifying the switching process as a priority to benefit consumers and enable them to take full advantage of a competitive communications market. In December 2013 Ofcom mandated reform of the switching processes for fixed voice telephone and broadband services offered over BT Openreach's copper network to deliver a harmonised gaining provider led switching process by June 2015.
	Ofcom will publish details and timetables for carrying out further work in this area in spring 2014, including consideration of switching between mobile networks.
	In July 2013 the UK Government set out its objectives to move to Gaining Provider Led processes for switching 'across the board', and to ensure consistent and effective experiences for consumers switching between bundles in its consultation document ‘Connectivity, Content and Consumers: Britain's digital platform for growth’.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public appointments her Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Helen Grant: I refer to the answer provided on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W, by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude).

Public Service Broadcasting

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to implement section 93 of the European Commission's guidance on Public Sector Broadcasters (PSBs); and what steps she is taking to ensure that an arm’s length principle is applied to all subsidiaries of PSBs.

Edward Vaizey: Article 93 of the Communication from the Commission on the application of state aid rules to public service broadcasting (2009/C 257/01) refers only to publicly funded PSBs (i.e. the BBC).
	In line with article 93, and in accordance with article 24(2)(k) of the Charter, the BBC Trust set out its fair trading policies and framework in November 2011. Compliance with the fair trading policies and framework is a matter for the BBC Trust, as the BBC is operationally and managerially independent of Government.
	A communication is not a directive and does not need to be implemented in national law.

Wrecks

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under what conditions and criteria her Department transfers ownership of discovered British shipwrecks to private individuals.

Edward Vaizey: DCMS does not own any shipwrecks.

Wrecks

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish details of the location and contents of all the protected wreck sites designated by her Department under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

Edward Vaizey: Details of the 48 sites in English territorial waters that have been designated under the Protection of Wreck Act 1973 can be found in the National Heritage List for England. This is published on the English Heritage website.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Absent Voting

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made on the effects of postal voting on voter engagement and participation.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that that the proportion of electors with postal votes in Great Britain trebled from 4% to 12% between 2001 and 2005. It now appears to have stabilised and remains at about 15% of electors.
	Turnout among postal electors continues to be higher than that among in-person voters. Postal votes accounted for 49% of all votes at the count at the 2012 police and crime commissioner elections and for 31% at the local elections in England on 2 May 2013.
	The Commission also conducts regular public opinion research following elections and has asked some specific questions on the impact of postal voting on voter participation. Following the English and Welsh local elections in 2008 the Commission's post-election research found that nearly six in ten (58%) of those that voted by post (or 7% of all people) said that the availability of postal voting encouraged them to vote. Four in ten (42%) said it had little effect.
	Postal voters, in the survey, who said that the availability of postal voting encouraged them to vote were then asked if they would have still voted if they had not been able to vote this way. Just over half (56%) said they would not otherwise have voted and 42% that they probably would have voted anyway.
	The Commission's 2010 post-election research also found that nearly four in ten (38%) of non-voters said that they would have been more likely to vote if it was easier to get a postal vote. These figures should be treated with caution since there may be a research effect whereby respondents say they are 'more likely' to do something (vote) that is generally considered a good thing to do.
	Postal voters also continue to report high levels of satisfaction with the process. For example, the 2013 post-election research found that 96% of postal voters were satisfied with the postal voting process, with 87% saying that they were very satisfied.

Elections: USA

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the effectiveness of the use of the non-partisan get out the vote message on Facebook for the 2010 US Congressional elections.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has made no assessment of this. The Commission does however make use of social media, including Facebook, as part of its own public awareness campaigns.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will offer support and publicity to groups within civic society which help to increase electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does, and will continue, to offer support to groups within civic society to increase electoral registration.
	The Electoral Commission refers the hon. Gentleman to its earlier reply of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 621W, in which it outlined the assistance it gives to groups within civic society.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of which areas will show the greatest variation in electoral registration as a result of the introduction of individual electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has conducted a detailed analysis of the trial run of the confirmation process that will be used during the transition to individual electoral registration (IER).
	This analysis showed that the percentage of the electorate that can be matched against the Department for Work and Pensions database, and therefore retained on the registers under IER, varies significantly between and within local authority areas.
	It also showed that some people, including students and those who move home more often, are less likely to be matched. This analysis is available on the Commission's website.
	However, this dry run of confirmation also means electoral registration officers (EROs) will know which wards in their area are going to have lower match rates and where they therefore need to target their efforts in encouraging people to register individually under the new system.
	Funding provided by Cabinet Office to EROs as part of the implementation of IER also varies depending on the likely match rates that different areas can expect.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what estimate the Electoral Commission has made of changes in electoral registration levels in advance of the next boundary review.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission has made no such estimate. However, the Commission has published several reports on registration levels in recent years and will produce a further report on the accuracy and completeness of the registers across Great Britain later in 2014. This will act as a baseline for assessing the impact of the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER).
	The Commission will also report in mid-2015 in order to inform a ministerial decision on whether the end date for the transition to IER should be moved forward from December 2016 to December 2015. This analysis will be available in time to inform considerations around the use of the December 2015 electoral registers for the next scheduled review of parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what research the Electoral Commission has conducted on its standing amongst hon. Members.

Gary Streeter: The Commission informs me that it undertook a stakeholder survey in 2013. This project was to help the Commission to understand more fully the network of stakeholders with whom it needs to work to achieve its objectives and fulfil its responsibilities, and their own plans and concerns, particularly given current financial pressures.
	This built on a similar survey in 2009, but added a formal analysis of the Commission's stakeholder network and reflected the recommendation of the National Audit Office that the Commission should ask its stakeholders about its future priorities.
	As part of the survey the Commission wrote to a range of stakeholders, including hon. Members, Members of the House of Lords, political parties and their local constituency branches and local authorities, inviting them to take part in this stakeholder survey.
	In 2013 the Commission found that a majority of its stakeholders were satisfied. Compared to 2009, satisfaction among politicians and political party officials had risen markedly.
	The final report from the survey, which includes stakeholder perspectives, can be found on the Commissions website here:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/_data/assets/pdf_file/0018/155106/Full-report-on-our-stakeholder-survey-April-2013.pdf
	The Commission informs me that it also has a parliamentary advisory group. The group is made up of senior politicians whose expertise it uses to help it ensure that it works as effectively as possible. The group aims to meet three times a year and is constituted of one MP and one peer from each of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, as well as one MP from the Scottish National Party and one from Plaid Cymru.

Voting Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the voter turnout was in (a) each 10 year cohort from 18 onwards, (b) each socio-economic group and (c) each ethnic group in the last national election.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that information on voting behaviour by age, socio-economic or ethnic group is not available because these details are not currently recorded on electoral registers. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown of actual turnout, as percentages, by these demographics.
	However, estimated turnout figures have been produced by the research agency Ipsos-MORI. These aggregate data from voting intention surveys conducted during general election campaigns to produce turnout estimates by a range of demographics, such as age and socio-economic group.
	Following is a table, based on the Ipsos-MORI data, showing the aggregated estimates of voter turnout by age for the 2010 general election:
	
		
			 2010 
			 Age Percentage 
			 18-24 44 
			 25-34 55 
			 35-44 66 
			 45-54 69 
			 55-64 73 
			 65+ 76 
			 Total  
		
	
	The next table shows the aggregated estimates of voter turnout by socio-economic group for the 2010 general election:
	
		
			 2010 
			 Socio-economic group Percentage 
			 AB 76 
			 C1 66 
			 C2 58 
			 DE 57 
			 Total 65 
		
	
	Further information is available from Ipsos-MORI, published on their website at:
	http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oltemId=2613&view=wide
	The 2010 Ethnic Minority British Election Survey also provides some reliable turnout statistics, which are broken down by some minority ethnic groups:
	
		
			 2010 
			 Ethnic group Percentage 
			 Black Caribbean 55 
			 Black African 40 
			 Indian 58 
			 Pakistani 59 
			 Bangladeshi 56

Voting Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will list the 50 wards with the greatest change in turnout between the 2005 and 2010 general elections.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not hold this information at ward level. This is because returning officers are not required to report data at ward level for parliamentary elections.
	However, the following table shows the 50 constituencies with the greatest change in turnout between the 2005 and 2010 general elections (note a positive percentage indicates an increase in turnout in 2010, a negative indicates a decrease).
	
		
			 Constituency (2010 names) Turnout 2005 (including votes rejected at count) Turnout 2010 (including votes rejected at count) Percentage point change in turnout 2005-101 
			 Staffordshire South2 68.4 37.7 30.6 
			 Poplar and Limehouse 63.3 46.1 17.2 
			 Thirsk and Malton3 50.0 65.7 -15.6 
			 Tyneside North 59.9 46.2 13.7 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 63.3 50.6 12.7 
			 Feltham and Heston 60.3 47.8 12.5 
			 Penistone and Stocksbridge 68.0 55.6 12.4 
			 Tyrone West 61.5 73.5 -12.0 
			 Cambridgeshire North East 71.2 59.3 11.9 
			 Barking 61.7 49.9 11.9 
			 Tottenham 59.6 48.0 11.6 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 64.7 53.2 11.5 
			 Islington North 65.6 54.2 11.4 
			 Streatham 63.1 51.8 11.4 
			 Liverpool Riverside 52.3 40.9 11.3 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 63.2 51.9 11.3 
			 Sheffield Hallam 74.5 63.5 11.0 
			 Liverpool Walton 55.1 44.1 11.0 
			 Hammersmith 65.9 54.9 10.9 
			 Luton South 64.9 54.0 10.9 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 64.6 53.8 10.8 
			 Vauxhall 58.1 47.3 10.8 
			 Lewisham Deptford 62.0 51.3 10.6 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 63.3 52.7 10.6 
			 Newry and Armagh 60.9 71.5 -10.6 
			 Midlothian 64.0 53.5 10.5 
			 Sefton Central 72.0 61.5 10.5 
			 Bradford West 65.3 55.0 10.4 
			 Bolton North East 65.0 54.7 10.3 
			 Hull West and Hessle 55.1 44.9 10.2 
			 Holborn and St Pancras 63.5 53.3 10.2 
			 Ulster Mid 63.7 73.9 -10.2 
			 Liverpool Wavertree 60.8 50.7 10.1 
			 Esher and Walton 72.6 62.5 10.1 
			 Belfast West 54.9 64.8 -9.9 
			 Lewisham East 63.6 53.8 9.8 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 63.6 53.8 9.8 
			 Nottingham South 60.6 50.8 9.7 
			 Ealing Central and Acton 67.5 57.9 9.6 
			 Weaver Vale 65.5 56.0 9.5 
			 Hampshire North East 73.5 64.1 9.4 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 66.5 57.1 9.4 
			 Liverpool West Derby 57.0 47.7 9.3 
			 Tooting 68.7 59.5 9.2 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne Central 56.6 47.4 9.2 
			 Westminster North 59.8 50.7 9.1 
			 Walthamstow 63.9 54.8 9.1 
			 Northamptonshire South 73.4 64.4 9.0 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 59.4 50.5 9.0 
			 Salford and Eccles 55.2 46.4 8.8 
			 1 Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher at the elections centre, Plymouth university, collected and collated these data from returning officers on the Commission’s behalf. 2 2005 election postponed and held on 23 June. 3 2010 election postponed and held on 27 May. 
		
	
	This data comes from an analysis provided to the Commission by the university of Plymouth. It should be noted that because of changes to constituency boundaries and names between the 2005 and 2010 general elections, direct comparisons cannot always be made. Some of these figures may therefore only give an indication of what the levels of turnout might have been had the 2010 constituency boundaries been in use at the 2005 general election.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the council tax freeze grant will be; and whether this sum will be built in to the council base settlement for future years.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 6 February 2014
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 18 December, Official Report, columns 103-04WS, which sets out the extra funding Government is making available to support councils that freeze council tax in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. Ministers have also agreed that funding for two years will be built into the spending review baseline.

Council Tax

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he intends to announce the capping limit on council tax for the coming financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 6 February 2014
	Capping was abolished by the Localism Act 2011 and replaced with a new provision for council tax referendums, which allows local people to approve or veto excessive council tax increases.
	For the forthcoming financial year, I refer the right hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 5 February 2014, Official Report, columns 19-21WS.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the effects of council tax support schemes on people on low incomes.

Brandon Lewis: These are local schemes, and it is for local authorities to ensure that the effect on specific groups of council tax payers is proportionate and fair. We made a £100 million transition grant available in 2013-14 to help councils develop well-designed schemes and maintain incentives to work.
	An independent review of the policy will be carried out within three years. We are working with local authorities to identify the right data sources for that review.
	Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit left by the last Administration.
	Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people into work. We are ending the last Administration's 'something for nothing' culture and making work pay.

Fire Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which agency is recruiting resilience firefighters via the Direct.gov website; and what role this organisation plays.

Brandon Lewis: The Department of Communities and Local Government is not responsible for the Direct.gov.uk website, nor is it responsible for the recruitment policies and practices of individual fire and rescue authorities or other bodies.

Fracking

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with councils on fracking and business rates.

Brandon Lewis: My Department holds regular discussions with representatives of local government on business rates and the rates retention scheme. We will engage with interested parties including local government on regulations to implement 100% local business rates retention for shale gas production.

Fracking

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons his policy is to allow councils to keep 100 per cent of business rates from fracking operations.

Brandon Lewis: Allowing local authorities to keep 100% of business rates on shale gas production sites is part of our long-term economic plan to build a stronger, more competitive economy, create more jobs and secure a better future for Britain. We believe communities that host a shale gas site should see a concrete benefit. The industry has committed to a package for communities that host a shale gas site which includes a payment of £100,000 for each hydraulically fractured well at the exploratory stage, as well as 1% of all revenues from production. Local councils will also benefit from shale gas production as well by keeping 100% of business rates from shale gas production—double the current figure of 50%. This commitment could be worth up to £1.7 million a year for a typical site. It will be funded by central Government and will ensure that local government feels a direct financial incentive, in addition to local jobs and growth supported by shale gas development.

Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change in funding spent on homelessness was in each local authority area between the last two years for which data is available.

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 January 2014, Official Report, column 56W.

Housing: Construction

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were built on a floodplain in each year since 2009.

Nicholas Boles: The following table shows the estimated number of dwellings built within areas of high flood risk in England, since the statistics began in 1989 to the most recent year available. They show that the number is now at its lowest rate since records began.
	
		
			  Estimated homes built in flood risk areas 
			 1989 14,300 
			 1990 11,500 
			 1991 10,800 
		
	
	
		
			 1992 10,100 
			 1993 10,300 
			 1994 10,800 
			 1995 12,600 
			 1996 10,400 
			 1997 12,000 
			 1998 10,000 
			 1999 11,300 
			 2000 10,800 
			 2001 10,400 
			 2002 12,300 
			 2003 13,000 
			 2004 13,900 
			 2005 12,800 
			 2006 14,500 
			 2007 14,100 
			 2008 13,300 
			 2009 13,700 
			 2010 9,600 
			 2011 7,900 
			 Note: Figures to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	The decision whether to grant planning permission is a matter for local planning authorities, taking advice where appropriate from the Environment Agency and weighing up the different material considerations.
	The figure will never be zero—as this would mean there would be complete ban on any form of development in many existing towns and cities which happen to be flood-risk areas. Rather, national planning policy is clear that any new buildings that are needed in flood risk areas are appropriately flood resistant and resilient. Mitigation measures such as land raising, landscaping, raised thresholds and re-arranging the internal uses of buildings, can sometimes make development acceptable in such areas.
	Moreover, the National Planning Policy Framework states that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided. Local planning authorities should direct development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains, but where development is necessary, it must be demonstrated that it is safe and will not increase flood risk elsewhere.

Local Government: Energy

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) local authorities use energy more efficiently in local authority controlled buildings and (b) public street lighting is only illuminated when required.

Brandon Lewis: My Department encourages local authorities in England to adopt common sense measures to reduce their energy bills inside their own buildings. Our publication, ‘50 Ways to Save: Examples of sensible savings in local government’, also included examples of councils making savings by grouping together to procure energy in partnership with local energy providers.
	Street lighting plays an important role in road safety, as well as ensuring the personal safety of pedestrians. There may be some roads where lights could be dimmed in the very early hours, saving taxpayers' money. However, this should be a local decision by elected local councillors, reflecting local circumstances—especially in relation to any concerns about crime. Equally, not every neighbourhood wants street lighting, as some communities, especially in rural areas, value dark skies. Councils should listen to the views of their local .residents, and then adopt appropriate local policies based on the neighbourhood, the precise location and the usage of the road/street. There is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance.
	Indeed, the Government publication, ‘Manual for Streets’ (2007), while out of date in certain areas (e.g. on parking and density), does still contain some useful guidance on getting the balance right when providing street lighting, taking into account the different issues around safety, street clutter and light pollution. It can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/manual-for-streets

Non-domestic Rates: Essex

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of small retail businesses in the (a) administrative county of Essex and (b) Colchester constituency which will benefit in financial year 2014-15 from the Government's policy of reducing business rates by £1,000.

Brandon Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, columns 175-76W.

Pay

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by (i) his Department, (ii) agencies of his Department and (iii) contractors of his Department are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

Brandon Lewis: My Department and its agencies have no staff or contractors working inside the Department earning less than the hourly living wage rate as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Pensions

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what effect changes in pension contributions have had on the take-home pay of officials of his Department at (a) AA, (b) AO and LO2, (c) EO and LO1, (d) HEO, (e) SEO, (f) 7 and (g) SCS grades and equivalents since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), on 4 February 2014, Official Report, columns 214-5W.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of his Department's contracts have been let to companies with (a) one to five, (b) six to 49, (c) 50 to 250 and (d) more than 250 staff.

Brandon Lewis: The Cabinet Office publishes data on small and medium-sized enterprises spend by Departments. In 2012-13, our performance was 29.3%, placing the Department third highest within all central Government Departments and meeting the Government's aspiration for supporting small and medium enterprises.
	Yearly spending will fluctuate due to the nature and number of contracts awarded. However, the following table illustrates the profile of contracts awarded in the last three years.
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Micro (1 to 5 staff) Small (6 to 49 staff) Medium (50 to 250 staff) Large (over 250 staff) 
			 2011 8.6 6.4 19.5 60.0 
			 2012 11.7 10.4 15.6 53.2 
			 2013 9.7 9.7 11.8 51.6 
			 Note: The figures do not round to 100% as the remaining figures are for organisations that have declined to provide information on their size or who are other public sector organisations.

Procurement

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his Department's 10 largest contracts let since financial year 2010-11 are; what savings have been made in such contracts; what the level of overspend or underspend was in each such contract; and what steps his Department has taken to monitor the performance of each such contract following the contract award.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The Department has already delivered a significant saving for taxpayers by reducing spend with suppliers by 57% from £314 million in 2009-10 to £136 million in 2012-13 for core DCLG.
	The DCLG group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532 million over this spending review period.

Public Houses

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice and assistance his Department has made available to communities seeking to retain their local pubs.

Brandon Lewis: My Department is taking the following steps to support community pubs:
	The Assets of Community Value Regulations implementing the Community Right to Bid provisions of the Localism Act 2011 are giving communities a fairer chance to bid to take over local assets of community value, including pubs.
	Research by the Campaign for Real Ale shows that 300 pubs are now listed as assets of community value.
	A £19 million support programme to help eligible community organisations to take on the community ownership and management of assets that are important to them, including pubs, is in place.
	We are providing funding for business partners, such as Pub is the Hub and the Plunkett Foundation, to expand their work in helping communities to bring their pubs into community ownership and to diversify or innovate their provision of services.
	The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that to deliver the social, recreational and cultural facilities that communities need, planning policies and decisions should provide for the use of such facilities, including pubs, and guard against their unnecessary loss.
	In the autumn statement on 5 December 2013 we announced a range of business rates measures to help small businesses such as community pubs, including extending the doubling of small business rate relief by a further year, until April 2015, and a £1,000 discount in 2014-15 and 2015-16 for premises with a rateable value of under £50,000.
	We have set up a cross-Whitehall Ministerial Group on Pubs to consider and co-ordinate Government policies effecting pubs.
	In addition, the Government has not only scrapped the last Administration's plans for a 10% rise in cider duties (the so-called cider tax), but at Budget 2013 we cut beer duty, amounting to a pint of average strength beer being reduced by 1p, and scrapped the beer escalator which would have further increased beer duty by 3p. This move has been warmly welcomed across the pub and brewing industry.
	Pubs have also benefited from action the Government has taken to reduce red tape affecting the pub sector. For example, we have provided greater flexibility on weights and measures, allowing beer and wine to be sold in different sizes than was previously allowed by regulations, and have made it easier for pubs to play live music.

Re-employment

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff who have been made redundant or retired from his Department have subsequently been re-employed by his Department since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Department has not re-employed any civil servants who have previously been made redundant or retired in the period since May 2010.
	I can also confirm that the Department is fully compliant with civil service-wide policies and rules which relate to re-employment with the civil service.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider, (b) purpose of the course and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

Brandon Lewis: No Ministers have undertaken training courses at public expense to the Department.
	I note that the parliamentary record states that Ministers in the last Administration from 2008 to 2010 spent £2,115 on public speaking training and £650 on professional development (as outlined in 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 966W).

William Hill

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2014, Official Report, column 489W, on William Hill, if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter received in November 2011 and the response from his Department.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 6 February 2014
	In line with the procedure by which my Department would handle a Freedom of Information request, we have consulted the organisation as a third party and they have no objection to its release. 1 also note that the letters from two years ago have no particular bearing on current policy development. In that light, I have placed copies in the Library of the House of the incoming letter and the ministerial response from my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) declining a meeting.
	As the ministerial response indicated, we received views and representations from both sides of the debate. The long-standing policy position which my Department has taken to date is laid out in the answer of 4 December 2013, Official Report, column 741W, and, indeed, this is the same stance first outlined in the ministerial response of 24 November 2010, Official Report, column 407, by my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).
	The debate on this issue has become quite polarised. However, we have consistently taken a pragmatic middle way, highlighting how councils can and should have the power to take targeted action to tackle localised problems, while avoiding disproportionate regulation being applied to the whole planning system.

EDUCATION

Teaching Profession

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to raise the status, professionalism and morale of the teaching profession.

David Laws: Our reforms are making teaching the profession of choice for top graduates; 74% of new teachers now have a first or upper-second class degree, compared to 63% in 2010. Prestigious scholarships and bursaries of up to £25,000 are attracting the very best; teaching is now the number one destination for graduates from Oxford University. And we are freeing the profession from government interference, giving teachers and school leaders the powers they need to exercise their professional judgment and make decisions that have a real impact on improving standards in the classroom.

Apprenticeships

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to increase the quality and availability of apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-olds.

Matthew Hancock: We have already raised the quality of apprenticeships by making them real jobs, introducing minimum durations, rooting out poor quality delivery, and insisting on more stretching qualifications in English and maths.
	We have created the £1,500 apprenticeship grant for employers to support recruitment of young apprentices.
	Our reforms will put employers in the driving seat, increasing quality and further simplifying the system, making it easier for employers to offer more apprenticeships in the future.

Academies

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward legislative proposals to permit the Independent Schools Inspectorate to undertake inspections of state-funded academies which are sponsored by schools or foundations within the independent sector. [R]

David Laws: There are no plans to make any legislative changes to Ofsted inspection. Inspection of all publicly funded schools, including academies and free schools, is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector.

Apple

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library the minutes of the meeting between the Minister of State for Children and Families and Apple Corporation representatives on 12 February 2013.

Edward Timpson: The record of the meeting is in a letter I sent to the representatives of Apple shortly after the meeting, which is already in the public domain. A copy of this letter has been placed in the House Library.

Criminal Investigation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisation his Department and its subsidiary bodies use to tackle internal instances of crime, including corruption and fraud; and whether he has designated this organisation or any individual within it to grant authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department handles all investigations into fraud, corruption and crime and involves outside agencies like the police when appropriate.

Edapt

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish details of any meetings involving officials or special advisers in his Department since May 2010 that included discussion of Edapt UK Ltd; and whether any of the ministerial meetings listed in his Department's Ministers' Quarterly Returns for 2012 or 2013 relating to gifts, hospitality and meetings included discussion of Edapt UK Ltd.

David Laws: Information regarding discussions of Edapt UK Ltd in departmental meetings involving Ministers, officials or special advisers, in the form requested, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department's Ministers' Quarterly Returns include any meetings directly with Edapt UK Ltd.

Free School Meals: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of schools in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria that will require additional staffing expenditure to allow the introduction of universal free school meals.

David Laws: This information is not held centrally.
	In his autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced over £1 billion of revenue funding for universal free school meals for pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 between 2014 and 2016. This funding, which includes special provision of £22.5 million for small schools in 2014-15, will be used by schools to pay for the cost of producing school lunches for newly eligible pupils, including staffing costs.

Free School Meals: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of schools in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria which will require capital investment to allow introduction of universal free school meals.

David Laws: This information is not held centrally.
	In his autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £150 million of capital funding to support schools in implementing the policy of universal free school meals for pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2.
	The details of the capital allocations for universal infant free school meals by local authority were announced on 18 December1.
	£21 million of the available funding has been added to the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund, to which academies are able to bid to improve their kitchen or dining facilities.
	1https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations-for-basic-need-and-infant-free-school-meals

Free School Meals: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) Merseyside are currently in receipt of free school meals.

David Laws: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, state-funded special schools and pupil referral units1: Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals based on performance tables2, 3. January 2013-England, Merseyside, Liverpool local authority, Liverpool Walton parliamentary constituency 
			  Pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			  Number on roll Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 England 6,920,220 1,265,770 18.3 
			     
			 Liverpool, Walton constituency 12,950 4,879 37.7 
		
	
	
		
			     
			 Liverpool local authority 57,008 17,944 31.5 
			     
			 Merseyside4 195,507 50,433 25.8 
			 1 Includes maintained nursery, state-funded primary, state-funded secondary, state-funded special schools, and pupil referral units. Excludes pupils in alternative provision as full and part time status is not collected. 2 Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. In pupil referral units includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. 3 Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. 4 Merseyside figures include data from Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton local authorities. Note: National figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census 
		
	
	This information is already published in the underlying data section of the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2013' Statistical First Release1.
	1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013

GCSE

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in England achieved no GCSEs at A* to C grade in 2012-13.

David Laws: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 48W.

GCSE

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of pupils in England in 2012-13 achieved no GCSEs at A* to C at all.

David Laws: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 48W.

GCSE

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether children with dyslexia or other language difficulties will be allowed additional time for GCSE examinations to take into account the assessment of grammar and language for all GCSE subjects;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to make special arrangements for children with dyslexia and other language difficulties in regard to the new marking system which includes spelling and grammar assessments for all GCSE subjects.

Edward Timpson: This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the hon. Gentleman.
	A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Grammar Schools

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the potential benefits of establishing more grammar schools in England.

David Laws: It is not the policy of the Government to establish new grammar schools in England.

Health Education: Hazardous Substances

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to assist schools in educating young people on the dangers of using hazardous substances.

David Laws: Schools may decide that it is necessary to teach pupils about the potential dangers of using hazardous substances as part of their health and safety assessment and policy.
	Teachers are well placed to judge which topics to cover, tailored to the needs of their pupils and in the context of the school's overall programme.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what contingency plans he has to safeguard the investment of public money in the buildings on the site of Kings Science Academy in the event of the freeholder not renewing the lease of the site.

Edward Timpson: The site of Kings Science Academy is secured on a 20 year lease due to expire in 2032. Under the terms of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Kings Science Academy has a statutory right to renew the lease at the end of the 20 year term. The provisions of the Act will safeguard the investment of public money, which has provided suitable buildings for the school.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2014, Official Report, column 187W, on Kings Science Academy, for what reason his Department decided to (a) purchase the leasehold and (b) not purchase the freehold of the Lidget Green site of the Kings Science Academy.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education undertook an assessment of the leasehold options against a freehold acquisition of Hartley Business Park in Lidget Green. That assessment concluded that entering into a long term lease represented better value for money than freehold acquisition.

Pre-school Education

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  with reference to page 69 of the draft SEN Code of Practice, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of making the Early Years Foundation Stage profile non-statutory on the future learning of children;
	(2)  with reference to page 69 of the draft SEN Code of Practice, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of making the Early Years Foundation Stage profile non-statutory on the support needs of children;
	(3)  with reference to page 69 of the draft SEN Code of Practice, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of making the Early Years Foundation Stage profile non-statutory on the support needs of children with speech, language and communication needs;
	(4)  what recent assessment he has made of the effects making the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile non-statutory on summarising and describing children's attainment at the end of the EYFS;
	(5)  what recent assessment he has made of the effects of making the Early Years Foundation Stage profile non-statutory on the relationship between early years settings and local primary schools;
	(6)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Early Years Foundation Stage profile non-statutory on ensuring a smooth transition of educational support between early years settings and local primary schools.

Elizabeth Truss: On 17 July 2013, the Department for Education launched a public consultation on proposals to reform primary school assessment and accountability. The consultation proposed that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) would remain in place but, to minimise the assessment burden, the Government would consider making the EYFS profile non-statutory at the end of reception. The consultation closed on 11 October. The Department will be publishing the Government response to the consultation shortly.
	The Early Years Foundation Stage and the Early Learning Goals within it will continue to be statutory in reception. The revised EYFS came into force from September 2012 following the Tickell Review. The prime areas of the EYFS deliberately cover the knowledge and skills which are the foundations for children's school readiness and future progress, and have been aligned with the national curriculum, for example in relation to literacy and maths.

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what role Ofsted plays in relation to permanent exclusions of statemented SEN children.

Elizabeth Truss: This question is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to ensure that infant schools still receive the level of pupil premium they are entitled to once free school meals for all have been introduced.

David Laws: Schools will continue to receive pupil premium funding on the same basis as before. Funding allocations for 2014-15 will be based on School Census data collected this January. In subsequent years, the Department for Education will continue to use the School Census to gather the same data about pupils in families that receive the relevant benefits that currently entitle them to a free school meal. This information will be used to allocate the pupil premium, as well as other deprivation-related school funding.

Pupils: Tagging

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence his Department holds on the use of radio-frequency identification technology with a real-time location system in schools produced in the last three years.

Elizabeth Truss: We have undertaken an electronic and paper search which has identified a Freedom of Information request and two correspondence replies on this matter in the last three years. These have been placed in the House Library.

Schools: Finance

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the level of Government spending was on schools in England in each year since 1984, adjusted for inflation.

David Laws: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 284W.

Schools: Standards

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools were rated (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory or requires improvement and (d) special measures by Ofsted in each parliamentary constituency and local authority in England in (i) May 2010 and (ii) January 2014.

David Laws: I have asked Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty's chief inspector, to write to the hon. Member about this matter, which is the responsibility of Ofsted. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Schools: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much capital funding for new school building has been allocated to Warrington Borough in each year since 2010.

David Laws: A significant amount of funding is provided to local authorities for them to spend according to their own local capital investment priorities. As such, the Department for Education does not hold complete information on the level of funding that has been used for new school buildings.
	However since 2010-11, £4.56 million has been paid to Warrington borough council through the Basic Need programme to provide new school places either through expanding existing schools, or creating new ones. In addition to this, a further £10.47 million of Basic Need funding was announced on 18 December 2013 for the three-year period 2014-15 to 2016-17.
	The requested information is available online in the schools capital allocations data1.
	The following table provides the funding allocated to Warrington borough council through Basic Need for each year since 2010-11.
	
		
			 Financial year Basic Need allocation (£ million) 
			 2010-11 0.51 
			 2011-12 0.75 
			 2012-13 1.40 
			 2013-14 1.90 
			 2014-15 1.90 
			 2015-16 4.18 
			 2016-17 4.39 
		
	
	1http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital

Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff working in his Department have a teaching qualification.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education does not hold information on staff qualifications.

Teachers: Conditions of Employment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the School Teachers' Review Body about extending the terms and conditions for teachers to allow them access to salary sacrifice car schemes.

David Laws: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 58W.

Truancy: Fines

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effect of education penalty notices on low income families.

Elizabeth Truss: All parents should meet their legal responsibilities to ensure their children of compulsory school age, who are registered at school, attend regularly. Where a child is absent from school without authorisation, their parents may be issued with a penalty notice.
	All parents, can avoid being issued with a penalty notice by ensuring their children's regular attendance at school, and not taking them out of school without permission.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Government's commitment to give due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making new policy and legislation, if he will place in the Library all assessments of how new policy and legislation from his Department since January 2013 has given due consideration to the UNCRC.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education is committed to giving due consideration to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) during the policy-making process. A formal assessment of the Children and Families Bill against the UNCRC was carried out prior to publication and a copy has already been placed in the House Library or can be found on the Department website1. We also published a Children and Young Persons guide to the Children and Families Bill on 25 February 2013 and this is available online2.
	1Note:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/140213%20echr %20and%20uncr%20note%20for%20publication%20final%20lao.pdf
	2Note:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-young-persons-guide-to-the-children-and-families-bill
	Under Article 12 of the UNCRC, children have a right to be consulted on issues that affect them and to have their views respected. In the past year, the Department has consulted children on a wide range of issues. For example, we involved Equality, Participation, Influencing, Change (EPIC)—a group of disabled young people, to advise on changes to the special educational needs and disability part of the Children and Families Bill.
	I also meet with groups of children in care quarterly to talk about how to improve the support they receive and have separate quarterly meetings with care leavers.
	The UK Government is due to report to the UN Committee responsible for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shortly. The Department is co-ordinating the response with contributions from other Government Departments. Once the Government has submitted its response to the UN Committee a copy of the report will be placed in the House Library.

TREASURY

Children: Day Care

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the savings to the public purse of restricting the new tax-free childcare scheme to parents earning less than (a) £100,000, (b) £90,000, (c) £80,000, (d) £75,000, (e) £70,000, (f) £65,000 and (g) £60,000 a year.

Nicky Morgan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to parliamentary question 179269 on 3 December 2013, column 607W.

Children: Day Care

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the Government's policy on tax-free childcare on low income households.

Nicky Morgan: The Government believes that the introduction of tax-free child care will support those who want to work, and ensure that it always pays to work. Working families not already receiving support through tax credits will be able to pay for child care with support for 20% of costs up to £6,000 for each child under the age of 12.
	The overall system of child care support does remain focused on those on lower incomes. Low income families can claim 70% of their child care costs through working tax credit, and around 40% of two-year-olds will be eligible for a free nursery place from September 2014. In addition, child care support under universal credit will extend child care support for the first time to those working fewer than 16 hours, enabling parents to take the first steps into work.

Cost of Living

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to reduce the cost of living for those on low incomes; and if he will make a statement.

Nicky Morgan: There is no doubt that times have been tough. We are still recovering from the Great Recession when our economy shrunk by 7.2%—the largest squeeze in over 100 years and the country is poorer as a result. However, our long-term economic plan is seeing record new jobs created: 1.3 million new private sector jobs means 1.3 million people with the security of a pay packet.
	The Government's long-term plan is also cutting taxes so people keep more of what they earn. The Government has increased the personal allowance taking 2.7 million people out of tax, alongside freezing fuel duty, council tax and introducing tax-free child care and marriage tax allowances.
	There is more to do but the best way to raise living standards is to stick to the Government's long-term economic plan so that hard-working people have more economic security and peace of mind for them and their families.

Eurobonds

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of quoted eurobonds were issued by companies within the charge to UK corporation tax or income tax in circumstances where there is only one noteholder; what total interest was paid on those Eurobonds; and how much such interest was (a) allowed as a deduction against such companies' corporation tax or income tax profits, (b) disallowed pursuant to self-assessed transfer pricing returns or advance in capitalisation agreements and (c) disallowed following enquiries by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last six years.

David Gauke: For the purposes of thin capitalisation eurobonds are treated no differently from other forms of debt finance therefore HMRC does not separately identify eurobond finance in its record. The cost of the work required to separate the data relating specifically to eurobond issues from other debt finance would be disproportionate.
	HMRC has used eurobond issues as a marker for identifying thin capitalisation risk to ensure that the thin capitalisation risk posed by eurobond issues is fully addressed.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many HM Revenue and Customs staff have been employed in its alcohol duty enforcement team in each of the last five years; and how many staff he expects to be employed in this area on 31 March in each year between 2014 and 2016;
	(2)  how much HM Revenue and Customs has spent on alcohol duty enforcement in each year since 2010-11; and how much it expects to spend on alcohol duty enforcement in each year between 2013-14 and 2015-16.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is committed to tackling the problem of alcohol duty fraud across every area of the alcohol supply chain.
	During the period 2009-13, the duty losses stopped by virtue of the activity of HMRC and UK Border Force is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Amount of loss stopped (£) 
			 2009-10 14,743,291 
			 2010-11 24,250,733 
			 2011-12 27,788,831 
			 2012-13 25,577,981 
			 Note: Equivalent figures for the financial year 2008-09 are not available. 
		
	
	Resources used on this work often operate on a multi-disciplinary basis (e.g. criminal investigators may move from an alcohol case to a VAT case dependant on the current risk level) and resource levels therefore fluctuate over time. In addition, HMRC operates in partnership with colleagues in Border Force and in other EU member states. The resource figure in the following table represents full-time equivalents (FTE) staff numbers expended on tackling alcohol duty fraud in each year from 2008-09 to 2012-13.
	
		
			 Financial year Total FTE Staff cost (£ million) 
			 2008-09 446.5 19.23 
			 2009-10 488.2 21.92 
			 2010-11 563.8 24.28 
			 2011-12 453.7 19.54 
			 2012-13 512.8 22.08 
		
	
	These figures do not include staff in other organisations, such as Border Force, working to tackle alcohol fraud. The apparent dip in resource in 2011-12 is mainly due to the transfer of a large number of officers from one business stream to another. Resource was recorded as multi-functional and it was not possible to provide a breakdown into alcohol work/other regimes.
	In the autumn statement of 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-13, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced a proposal to introduce a registration scheme for alcohol wholesalers which is designed to reduce the supply of alcohol to the illicit market. This measure includes some 300 compliance staff who will start training during 2014-15.
	HMRC are currently engaged in business planning for 2014-15 and beyond, and the issue of tackling alcohol duty fraud features as part of that planning process.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total value of deposits held by financial institutions registered in Scotland which are covered by the current Financial Services Compensation Scheme;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total value of deposits held by UK residents which are covered financially by the current Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Sajid Javid: The information sought was included in Annex A of the Government's report ‘Scotland analysis: financial services and banking’ published on 20 May 2013.
	The total value of deposits protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme held by institutions registered in Scotland on 31 December 2011 was £173,748,538,000. The total value of deposits protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme held by all institutions in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2011 was £878,708,756,000.

Gambling: Excise Duties

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the additional gaming duty raised by taxing at the point of consumption remote gambling operators based offshore.

David Gauke: At Budget 2012, the Government announced that it will move to taxing remote gambling on a place of consumption basis. This move will affect three duties: general betting duty, pool betting duty and remote gaming duty. As set out in Budget 2012, based on unchanged 15% rates and a 1 December 2014 implementation date, the changes to these duties are expected to (collectively) raise additional Exchequer revenues of £70 million in 2014-15, £240 million in 2015-16, and £270 million in 2016-17.

Gambling: Excise Duties

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue from remote gaming duty in each year since 2010.

David Gauke: Due to the small number of taxpayers which dominate the statistics on remote gaming duty this data cannot be disclosed. For reasons of taxpayer confidentiality remote gaming duty collected is included in gaming duty reported in the HMRC betting and gaming bulletin. The link to the bulletin is as follows:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/bet-game.htm

Insurance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consult the Association of British Insurers on whether the insurers' code of conduct is working effectively for people about to retire.

David Gauke: The Association of British Insurers' (ABI) ‘Code of Conduct for Retirement Choices’ came into force in March 2013, and is binding on all ABI members. The code was established as a result of the work of the Open Market Option Review Group, which was set up by Government and comprises industry, consumer group and Government representatives, with the objective of ensuring consumers shop around for an annuity.
	The Government is committed to making sure that the annuity market is working in the best interests of consumers. The ABI has committed to review the effectiveness of its code this year, one year after its implementation.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made as part of his continuing review of all taxes of the environmental impact of liquid petroleum gas in comparison with other road fuel gases;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the (a) cost to the Exchequer and (b) effects on vehicle uptake of reducing the duty differential for liquid petroleum gas by one pence per litre per year in each year from 2010-11 to 2015-16;
	(3)  with reference to paragraph 2.92 of the autumn statement 2013, what assessment he has made of the (a) fiscal effects and (b) effects on vehicle uptake of his plans to continue reducing the duty differential for liquid petroleum gas by one pence per litre per year in each year up to 2024-25.

Nicky Morgan: The reduction of the liquid petroleum gas (LPG) differential by 1 penny per litre (ppl) per year is a continuation of the approach set out by the previous Administration, following their recommendation in the 2003 Alternative Fuels Framework. Along with the main rate of fuel duty, the LPG differential was cut by 1ppl in 2011, and will remain frozen until the end of Parliament. The Government will review the taxation of all road fuel gases in 2018, along with vehicle take up and the impact of the differential on the public finances.
	Table 2.1 of the autumn statement document sets out the fiscal impacts of the reduced rates of fuel duty for road fuel gases.
	At autumn statement the Government provided 10 year certainty over the differential between the main rate of fuel duty and road fuel gases which will encourage the purchase and development of alternatively fuelled commercial vehicles. However, given that the market is at an early stage of development it is not possible to precisely estimate the impact on sales.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2013, Official Report, columns 258-59W, on mortgages: government assistance, if he will place an analysis of the people to whom such mortgages have been granted.

Sajid Javid: On 2 January, the Prime Minister announced that in the first three months of the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme more than 6,000 people had put in offers on homes and applied for a Help to Buy mortgage. The mortgages, once approved, would represent nearly £1 billion of new lending to aspiring home owners who may have previously found the property market out-of-reach because of the size of the deposit required.
	Now the scheme is open, the Government is collecting data on the mortgages supported by the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme and will report in due course.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many transactions have taken place under the Help to Buy scheme for home purchase valuations (a) under £100,000, (b) between £100,000 and £200,000, (c) between £200,000 and £300,000, (d) between £300,000 and £400,000, (e) between £400,000 and £500,000 and (f) between £500,000 and £600,000; and what the value of the guarantee provided was in each such transaction.

Sajid Javid: On 2 January, the Prime Minister announced that in the first three months of the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme more than 6,000 people had put in offers on homes and applied for a Help to Buy mortgage. The mortgages, once approved, would represent nearly £1 billion of new lending to aspiring home owners who may have previously found the property market out-of-reach because of the size of the deposit required.
	The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme continues to support responsible lending. On average households are looking to buy homes worth £160,000 which remains below the UK average house price of £247,000.
	Now the Scheme is open, the Government is collecting data on the mortgages supported by the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme and will report in due course.

New Businesses

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what comparative assessment he has made of the number of small business start-ups in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Nicky Morgan: The latest ONS data, based on PAYE and/or VAT registrations, reported that in 2012 there were 17,385 new businesses in Scotland and 269,565 new businesses in the UK as a whole.
	The 2013 BIS population estimates reported 326,000 private sector businesses in Scotland in the beginning of 2013. There were 4.9 million private businesses in the UK as a whole. 99% of these businesses were small and medium sized businesses.

New Businesses: Scotland

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to support women who want to set up businesses in Scotland.

Matthew Hancock: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	We are supporting people across the UK who want to set up a business, including women in Scotland. The new enterprise allowance provides funding and support to help unemployed people start their own business. To date over 4,000 women have received start-up loans, providing start-up finance and business advice. And from March 2014, the scheme will be extended to entrepreneurs in Scotland.
	The UK is a great place to start a business and we have worked with Scotland to develop our proposals to make it easier for businesses to grow, in our publication “Small Business: GREAT Ambition”. Business support is a devolved issue and people who want to set up a business in Scotland can find details of available help and support at
	http://www.business.scotland.gov.uk/

PAYE

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs employees are working on the delivery of real time information.

David Gauke: holding answer 12 December 2013
	The real time information (RTI) is being delivered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Real Time Information Programme. There are currently five distinct teams containing 116 people, directly managed within the programme. The programme also receives support from other individuals across HMRC. These people have not worked full time on the programme but have made contributions to specific aspects of delivering the programme.
	Real time reporting of PAYE information will bring PAYE into the 21st century and make it more accurate for employers, HMRC and, employees and HMRC. RTI has been designed to reduce burdens on employers by integrating reporting within normal payroll processes.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Nicky Morgan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Public Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the workings of the Barnett formula.

Danny Alexander: The Barnett formula is reviewed from time to time. Full details of the working of the Barnett formula are published in the statement of funding policy.
	The Barnett formula works well for all parts of the UK. As set out in the Coalition Programme for Government, this Government's priority must be to reduce the deficit and therefore any discussion of change to the Barnett formula must await the stabilisation of the public finances.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a taper for the removal of the transferable tax allowance in the event of a change in (a) personal and (b) financial circumstances.

David Gauke: The transferable tax allowance will be introduced from April 2015 to recognise marriage in the tax system. Legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2014. The legislation, which has been published in draft, does not provide for a taper, as the Government attaches high priority to simplicity, and this will make it easier for individuals to understand their tax liabilities.

Tax Evasion

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 367W, on tax evasion, what recent progress has been made by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in initiating proceedings against all current HMRC fugitives; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HMRC continues to work towards bringing all current HMRC fugitives (including those featured in the Most Wanted Campaign which was launched by HMRC in August 2012) before the UK courts. HMRC uses all available systems and resources to locate and trace individuals. This includes working closely with HMRC’s fiscal liaison officers based overseas, Crown Prosecution Service, National Crime Agency, Interpol and other international partners.
	Since the answer provided on 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 367W, Paul James Wright has had his sentence of three years imposed by Manchester Crown court. Wright was deported from Malaysia having attempted to enter Malaysia while using a false passport. He was arrested by HMRC officers at London Heathrow on his return to the UK.
	HMRC continues to receive information concerning fugitives both from the UK and from overseas. This information is analysed with the aim of supporting further arrests and successful extraditions from both the European Union and elsewhere.
	HMRC has over 2,500 criminal investigators with direct access to information on tax fugitives who are able to investigate any information received on these fugitives. In addition, there are HMRC staff available to take calls from the public who have information. HMRC is very proactive in publishing the names of the Most Wanted (within in legal parameters provided by HMRC solicitors office), and our efforts have resulted in four fugitives caught since the first list was published in 2012.
	Although, in itself, the HMRC fugitive unit is a small team, the team does not work in isolation in bringing about the tracing/locating of HMRC fugitives.
	The fugitive unit works with a number of teams across HMRC to locate fugitives.

Taxation

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the number of people who would pay no income tax or national insurance contributions if the threshold at which such payments began were raised to £12,000 a year in 2014-15.

David Gauke: It is estimated that raising the personal tax allowance and all NIC thresholds to £12,000 in the year 2014-15 would take 3.7 million individuals out of liability at a cost of £33 billion to the Exchequer.
	These estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 2011-12 projected to 2014-15 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's December 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.

Taxation: Appeals

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) first-tier and (b) upper-tier tax tribunal cases were won by HM Revenue and Customs in each year since 2010.

David Gauke: Information on first-tier tribunal decisions is published by HMRC:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/complaints-appeals/news.htm
	In 2012 HMRC was successful in 86% of tax cases decided at upper tribunal and in 2013 HMRC succeeded in 84% of decided cases. Although HMRC does not hold statistics for earlier years, the upper tribunal does publish all decisions and they are available from their website.

Taxation: Bingo

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the (a) economic and (b) fiscal effect of reducing the take of bingo duty to 15 per cent.

David Gauke: The Government keeps all taxes, including bingo duty, under review.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total amount that will be received in penalties paid by people who failed to complete their self assessment by 31 January 2014.

David Gauke: No estimate has been made regarding the total amount that will be received in penalties paid by people who failed to file their 2012-13 self-assessment tax return by 31 January 2014.
	Of the 10.74 million self-assessment tax returns due by the 31 January 2014, 93.4% were filed on time, of which 84.5% were filed online.

Welfare Tax Credits

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was overpaid in tax credits by HM Revenue and Customs in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12;
	(2)  what proportion of overall tax credits payments in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 were found to be overpayments.

Nicky Morgan: HMRC tax credit overpayment figures are available in the Finalised Child and Working Tax Credits statistics annual award supplement on payments located here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-main-stats/cwtc-awards-sup.xls
	on the ‘Main Aggregates’ table.
	HMRC total tax credit expenditure figures are available in the Finalised Child and Working Tax Credits statistics located here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-main-stats/cwtc-awards.xls
	in Table 1.1.

Wholesale Trade: Registration

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to tackle duty fraud before wholesale registration comes into effect in 2017;
	(2)  what resources he will provide to enforce the wholesaler registration scheme when it comes into effect in 2017.

Nicky Morgan: The Government invested a further £18 million in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) strategy to tackle alcohol fraud through the 2010 spending review. HMRC enforcement work protected revenue of over £600 million in 2012-13, almost a three-fold increase during this Parliament.
	In 2013, HMRC announced, in its consultation response document “Alcohol Fraud: Next Steps”, that it would be strengthening its strategy further, including measures to tighten the regulatory environment and increase the impact of enforcement. These include: introducing due diligence requirements for all excise businesses; changing regulations to tackle abuses of the brewing regime; tightening requirements for financial guarantees required from new excise businesses; and dealing more robustly with those caught holding or moving illicit product.
	Resourcing for the wholesaler registration scheme formed part of HMRC's overall settlement for the SR period. Precise resource requirements are currently being assessed.

Working Tax Credit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) couples with children who are no longer eligible for working tax credits and (b) children now deemed to be in poverty as a result of the higher working hours threshold.

Nicky Morgan: The number of couples with children working 16 to 24 hours who are eligible for child tax credit (CTC) but are not eligible for working tax credit (WTC) as at 2 December 2013 is around 40,000. This figure relates to the snapshot position of families at this time.
	There are also around 10,000 couples with children working 16 to 24 hours eligible for CTC who have lost WTC eligibility but whose income was high enough that the WTC element of their award was fully tapered away, so they were only in receipt of the child tax credit (CTC) element.
	An estimate of the impact on child poverty of the change is not available. The Government remains committed to eradicating child poverty. However, the Government strongly believes looking at relative income in isolation is not a helpful measure to track progress towards this.
	The Government has consulted on developing better measures of child poverty to provide a more accurate picture of the reality of child poverty and drive the right action. The consultation has closed and we will respond in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the office space owned or leased by his Department is not in regular use; what the total (a) rental and (b) retail value is of all such unused office space; and if he will place in the Library a copy of his most recent departmental real estate valuation.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not have any unused office space. Nor does the Department own any property.

Criminal Investigation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which organisation his Department and its subsidiary bodies use to tackle internal instances of crime, including corruption and fraud; and whether he has designated this organisation or any individual within it to grant authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Gregory Barker: Neither the core Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) nor its subsidiary bodies have engaged external organisations to tackle internal instances of crime including corruption and fraud.
	The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has not made use of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act since DECC’s inception and so have no nominated officers.

Eggborough Power Station

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish all relevant documents on the decision not to award the Eggborough power plant a green subsidy.

Michael Fallon: Based on their provisional ranking following Phase 2 of FID Enabling for Renewables, the three Eggborough biomass conversion units that applied to the process have provisionally been assessed as not being affordable. They remain in the process and have received a draft investment contract and have been invited to submit a binding application in March 2014. The final selection of projects and affordability assessment will be carried out following the receipt of binding applications. Signed investment contracts will be laid in Parliament in accordance with the Energy Act 2013.
	DECC will not comment on individual projects or applications to FID Enabling for Renewables while the selection process is on-going.
	Information on the process regarding the qualification and evaluation of applications for the FID Enabling for Renewables process can be found on the DECC website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/increasing-certainty-for-investors-in-renewable-electricity-final-investment-decision-enabling-for-renewables

Eggborough Power Station

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many apprenticeships have been awarded at the Eggborough power plant site in the last five years.

Michael Fallon: The Department does not hold this information.

Electricity Generation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish forward projections of electricity generation by type for the next 15 years.

Michael Fallon: DECC publishes annual updates of energy and emissions projections (UEP). The UEP includes projections of electricity generation by type up to 2030, and was most recently published in September 2013. It can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2013
	Annex D shows projected electricity generation by major power producers and generators of renewable electricity. Annex E shows projected generation by all power producers, including generation by companies who produce their own electricity, but whose main business is not electricity generation.

Electricity Generation

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the UK's electricity was supplied by each source, for each of the past 12 months.

Michael Fallon: The information is as follows.
	
		
			 Proportion of UK's electricity supplied by Major Power Producers by source, December 2012 to November 2013 
			  Coal (%) Oil (%) Gas (%) Nuclear (%) Hydro (%) Onshore wind (%) Offshore wind (%) Bioenergy (%) Total supplied TWh 
			 2012          
			 December 45.4 0.5 23.1 19.5 1.6 4.2 3.7 2.0 29.18 
			           
			 2013          
			 January 44.5 0.4 24.1 20.6 1.4 3.7 3.1 2.1 30.58 
			 February 44.2 0.4 27.4 18.3 1.3 3.3 3.2 2.0 27.70 
			 March 45.0 0.2 27.3 17.7 0.5 3.7 3.4 2.3 29.65 
			 April 40.9 0.2 25.2 21.1 1.0 4.4 3.8 3.4 25.41 
			 May 40.8 0.1 27.6 18.2 1.4 4.4 3.4 4.1 23.56 
			 June 33.8 0.1 35.7 20.2 0.6 2.8 3.2 3.4 21.82 
			 July 35.2 0.2 30.4 25.9 0.6 2.0 1.9 3.9 22.06 
			 August 38.2 0.2 24.1 28.5 0.8 3.0 2.7 2.6 21.81 
			 September 40.4 0.2 26.4 22.2 1.0 3.7 3.5 2.6 22.75 
			 October 40.7 0.1 22.9 21.6 1.5 5.2 5.4 2.7 25.01 
			 November 39.6 0.2 28.3 19.6 1.7 4.5 3.8 2.3 26.72 
			 Note: This table does not include pumped storage, net imports or purchases from other sources. Source: Energy Trends table 5.4. December 2014 statistics will be published on 27 February 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-section-5-energy-trends

Fracking

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contribution he expects fracking to make to the UK economy.

Michael Fallon: There is potential for shale gas development to provide a substantial contribution to the UK economy in the future. Until more work is done to determine the extent of gas that can be technically and commercially recovered, we will not be able to accurately predict the entire contribution it can make.
	The Government is determined that the UK economy will benefit from any shale gas development that might take place through benefits such as increased tax revenues, greater energy security, growth and jobs. On 13 December last year, we published for consultation, an environmental report as part of the process of strategic environmental assessment for further oil and gas licensing onshore. On a high activity scenario, the report estimates that oil and gas activities which might be carried out on new licences might create 16,000 to 32,000 new full-time equivalent positions in the peak development phase, including direct, indirect and induced jobs.
	Prior to this report, the Institute of Directors estimated that 74,000 direct jobs could be created from the entire shale industry, including those direct jobs created from new licences.

Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assets his Department has sold in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the value of each such sale was.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not sold any assets in Northern Ireland.

Pay

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many civil servants are on each pay grade in (a) his Department and (b) agencies and public bodies accountable to him.

Gregory Barker: The number of civil servants on each pay grade employed by (a) the Department of Energy and Climate Change and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which it is responsible are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  AA/AO EO HEO/SEO Grade 7/6 SCS Other, unknown, or unspecified Total employees 
			 Department of Energy and Climate Change 65.5 131.6 586.6 681 109.5 — 1,574.2 
			 Coal Authority 17.6 16.5 69.9 25.8 3 — 132.8 
			 Civil Nuclear Police Authority 1045.8 264.8 98.5 15 5 — 1,429.1 
			 Committee on Climate Change — 1 6.7 16.8 4 — 28.5 
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority — — — — — 293.9 293.9 
			 Total 1128.9 413.9 761.7 738.6 121.5 293.9 3,458.4 
		
	
	The numbers above are shown as full-time equivalents (fte) and are regularly published on our website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/decc-workforce-management-information

Power Failures: Wolverhampton

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many power outages that were in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) Wolverhampton North East constituency in (i) 2011, (ii) 2012 and (iii) 2013.

Gregory Barker: Annual data on power outages in GB are made available by Ofgem. See indicator 12, figure 20, from the following link:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/85923/sustainabledevelopmentindicators-theme4-ensuringasecureandreliablegasandelectricitysupplyfebruary2014.pdf
	The data are produced and published by Ofgem. These data are republished by DECC in our Energy Sector Indicators.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Gregory Barker: The Government publishes details of diversity in public appointments across Departments. The latest list can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/262039/diversity-pub-appointments-_1-April-30-Sept-2013.csv/preview
	Figures for 1 October 2013 to 31 March 2014 will be published later this year.

Solar Power

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many applications Ofgem has received for large commercial solar schemes;
	(2)  how many large commercial solar applications have been approved by Ofgem to date;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to simplify and speed up the applications process for commercial solar schemes;
	(4)  what the average time taken by Ofgem to complete large solar commercial applications is.

Michael Fallon: These are matters for Ofgem in accordance with their responsibility for administering the renewables obligation. I have asked the chief executive to write directly to the hon. Member and will place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people (a) in total and (b) in each hospital in London who were admitted to accident and emergency departments were not seen by a doctor within four hours in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested. The information available is in the following table, which shows the number of people in the week ending 2 February 2014 who were not discharged, admitted or transferred within four hours of arrival for all types of accident and emergency departments, including minor injury units and walk-in centres, for England and national health service hospital trusts in London.
	
		
			  Number of people 
			 England 19,255 
			   
			 Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 733 
			 Barnet And Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 384 
			 Barts Health NHS Trust 450 
			 Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust 0 
			 Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 26 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 66 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 41 
			 Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 101 
			 Guy's And St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 127 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 136 
			 Hounslow And Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust 0 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 203 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 550 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 84 
			 Lewisham And Greenwich NHS Trust 536 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 North East London NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 60 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 166 
			 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 74 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 198 
			 The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 67 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 67 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 116 
		
	
	
		
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 101 
			 Notes: 1. Information is not collected on the number of people in accident and emergency departments who were not seen by a doctor within four hours of arrival. Information is collected on the number of patients who have a total time in accident and emergency department over four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. 2. Information is included for all types of accident and emergency departments, including minor injury units and walk-in centres. 3. Information is included for all NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in the London region team of NHS England. Source: NHS England, weekly accident and emergency situation report for week ending 2 February 2014: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/weekly-ae-sitreps-2013-14/

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited more than (a) two and (b) four hours to be seen by accident and emergency staff in each London NHS trust in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Information is not available in the format requested. Tables showing number of attendances (excluding planned) with a duration to assessment, treatment and departure of over four hours and over two hours for each provider national health service trust in London for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13 have been placed in the Library.

Alzheimer's Disease: Paracetamol

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on possible links between paracetamol and Alzheimer’s disease; and what discussions he has had with regulatory bodies on such links.

Daniel Poulter: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency keeps the safety of paracetamol under close review. The available evidence does not suggest that paracetamol is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
	The Department has not commissioned any research on possible links between paracetamol and Alzheimer’s disease.
	The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no discussions with regulatory bodies on such links.

Autism

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy and effectiveness of current models of care and treatment for people with autism in the NHS.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on better addressing issues in the criminal justice system raised during the recent listening exercise on the review of the adult autism strategy;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Education on better ensuring that it addresses issues on transition raised during the recent listening exercise on the review of the adult autism strategy;
	(3)  what discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Justice on better addressing issues in the criminal justice system raised during the recent listening exercise on the review of the adult autism strategy;
	(4)  what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Ministry of Justice and (b) the Home Office on the implementation of the adult autism strategy in the criminal justice system.

Norman Lamb: Although progress is being made under the 2010 Adult Autism Strategy, provision of services for people with autism can vary across the country. In order to help standardise and improve the care and management of autism and to enable health and social care services to support people with autism more effectively, the Department commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce guidance on autism. This includes a recent Quality Standard for Autism which can help to inform the commissioning of autism services for children, young people and adults, focusing on key areas for improving the quality of existing services.
	The Department worked with a range of Government departments and agencies, local health and social service providers, public and voluntary organisations and people with autism, carers and families during the listening phase of the review of the adult autism strategy. This included the Department for Education (DFE), Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Home Office, with officials representing those departments attending meetings and events. The MOJ and DFE are members of the Autism Programme Board (APB). All papers for the APB are placed on Gov.UK website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/aapb
	These papers provide further information about how the reviews were conducted, the findings, and notes of discussions at the APB.
	The MOJ and DFE have also offered to host meetings of officials in the near future with advocates for autism to discuss what more can be done.
	The Children and Families Bill, led by the DFE, will introduce joint arrangements between health, care and education, for children with special educational needs for young people aged 0 to 25, providing a basis for planning effective transition; the Department of Health's Care Bill provides for social care assessments before a child turns 18, to allow for continuity in transition.

Crime Prevention: Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has given to (a) local authorities in England and (b) health and wellbeing boards on the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme.

Jane Ellison: The Department, working with the Home Office and the Local Government Association, has commissioned the NHS Confederation to develop a resource providing practical information and guidance on the significant role health and wellbeing boards can play in preventing and tackling violence generally, in collaboration with community safety partnerships and other local partners. This briefing will be made available to local authorities and health and wellbeing boards soon.

Diabetes

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetes-related amputations were carried out in each year since 2003.

Jane Ellison: In the following table, we have provided information concerning the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with a primary diagnosis of diabetes and a primary or secondary procedure of amputation, in each year from 2003-04 to 2012-13.
	
		
			  FCEs 
			 2003-04 2,092 
			 2004-05 2,141 
			 2005-06 1,994 
			 2006-07 1,999 
			 2007-08 2,114 
			 2008-09 2,197 
			 2009-10 2,176 
			 2010-11 2,370 
			 2011-12 2,406 
			 2012-13 1,757 
			 Notes: 1. Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2. Data include amputation of arm, hand, leg, foot, toe and re-amputation at a higher level. 3. A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. 4. These data provide the number episodes of care where one or more amputations has taken place, and may not be the actual number of individual amputations. For example, a patient may have had both legs amputated in the same episode of care. 5. These data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion. For example, a patient may have had a re-amputation at a higher level in a later episode. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Diabetes

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of diabetic retinopathy have been diagnosed in each year since 2003.

Jane Ellison: The following table indicates the number of persons diagnosed with referable diabetic retinopathy from when records began in 2007. This does not include persons diagnosed with referable diabetic retinopathy outside the national screening programme.
	
		
			 Number of referable diabetic retinopathy outcomes by the NHS National Diabetic Eye Screening Programme in England, 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			  Total 
			 2007-08 53,076 
			 2008-09 76,687 
			 2009-10 95,155 
			 2010-11 112,471 
			 2011-12 108,212 
			 Note: This includes patients screened by digital photography and SLB with grading outcomes of M1, R2 and R3. Source: Diabetic Eye Screening Programme Annual Reports.

Diabetes

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in England in each year since 2003;
	(2)  how many people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in England in each year since 2003.

Jane Ellison: This information cannot be provided in the format requested.
	In the following table we have provided the number of patients recorded in the National Diabetes Audit (NDA)1 that were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in England in the 2009-102, 2010-11 and 2011-122 audit years, broken down by ethnic category. Participation in the NDA is not mandatory, so does not have 100% coverage or participation.
	1 Data can only be provided for the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 audit years as data prior to 2009-10 is not currently held.
	2 The figures provided in the table should be used in context of increased coverage in the NDA. Coverage has improved from an estimated 80.2% case ascertainment in 2009-10 to an estimated 88.4% case ascertainment in 2011-12.
	
		
			  Audit year 
			 Ethnic category 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 White 110,206 123,787 125,529 
			 British 98,682 111,256 113,215 
			 Irish 1,101 1,308 1,318 
			 Any other white background 10,423 11,223 10,996 
			     
			 Mixed 1,495 1,698 1,807 
			 White and black Caribbean 428 444 474 
			 White and black African 329 417 389 
			 White and Asian 240 276 288 
			 Any other mixed background 498 561 656 
			     
			 Asian or Asian British 17,789 20,087 21,958 
			 Indian 6,958 7,661 8,146 
			 Pakistani 5,325 5,827 6,728 
			 Bangladeshi 2,304 2,533 2,704 
			 Any other Asian background 3,202 4,066 4,380 
			     
			 Black or black British 6,109 6,947 7,694 
			 Caribbean 2,353 2,595 2,829 
			 African 3,157 3,660 4,128 
			 Any other black background 599 692 737 
			     
			 Other ethnic groups 5,537 5,942 5,918 
			 Chinese 504 572 601 
			 Any other ethnic group 5,033 5,370 5,317 
			     
			 Not stated 56,213 50,938 49,874 
			     
			 Total 197,349 209,399 212,780

Drugs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to remove geographic inequalities in the dispensing of the Humira form of the drug adalimumab; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: We are not aware of any significant unwarranted geographical variations in the dispensing of this drug in England.
	The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published technology appraisal guidance which recommends adalimumab as a treatment option in a number of conditions, subject to certain clinical criteria. These include:
	Rheumatoid arthritis (TA130, October 2007);
	Severe active ankylosing spondylitis (TA143, May 2008);
	Psoriasis in adults (TA146, June 2008);
	Severe active Crohn's disease (TA187, May 2010); and
	Active and progressive psoriatic arthritis (TA199, August 2010).
	National health service commissioners are required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance where a clinician believes they are appropriate.
	NICE is currently reviewing its guidance on adalimumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. It is also developing technology appraisal guidance on the use of this drug for severely active ulcerative colitis.
	In the absence of positive NICE technology appraisal guidance, NHS commissioners should make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient's clinical circumstances.

Dysentery

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 69W, on health education: sex, how many cases of shigella there have been in (a) total and (b) each parliamentary constituency since 2010.

Jane Ellison: The number of laboratory reports of most common shigella species reported to Public Health England (England and Wales) 2010-2013 follows:
	
		
			  Shigella flexneri Shigella sonnies Total 
			 2010 499 1,125 1,624 
			 2011 529 1,096 1,625 
			 2012 670 958 1,628 
			 2013 686 1,004 1,690 
			 Total 2,384 4,183 6,567 
		
	
	The number of laboratory reports of most common shigella species reported to Public Health England by PHE Centre (England and Wales) 2010-2013 follows:
	
		
			 PHE centre Shigella flexneri Shigella sonnei Total 
			 Anglia and Essex 85 188 273 
			 2010 24 64 88 
			 2011 14 32 46 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 22 35 57 
			 2013 25 57 82 
			     
			 Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 48 217 265 
			 2010 9 56 65 
			 2011 15 57 72 
			 2012 17 51 68 
			 2013 7 53 60 
			     
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 54 119 173 
			 2010 9 30 39 
			 2011 11 26 37 
			 2012 22 34 56 
			 2013 12 29 41 
			     
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 70 92 162 
			 2010 27 34 61 
			 2011 14 25 39 
			 2012 15 5 20 
			 2013 14 28 42 
			     
			 Devon Cornwall and Somerset 67 150 217 
			 2010 15 49 64. 
			 2011 19 41 60 
			 2012 14 29 43 
			 2013 19 31 50 
			     
			 East Midlands 30 106 136 
			 2010 9 29 38 
			 2011 7 30 37 
			 2012 10 25 35 
			 2013 4 22 26 
			     
			 Greater Manchester 181 259 440 
			 2010 43 53 96 
			 2011 34 60 94 
			 2012 65 98 163 
			 2013 39 48 87 
			     
			 Kent Surrey and Sussex 207 351 558 
			 2010 53 104 157 
			 2011 41 93 134 
			 2012 46 74 120 
			 2013 67 80 147 
			     
			 London 888 1,251 2,139 
			 2010 154 296 450 
			 2011 188 312 500 
			 2012 245 299 544 
			 2013 301 344 645 
			     
			 North East 59 124 183 
			 2010 10 30 40 
			 2011 12 18 30 
			 2012 23 29 52 
			 2013 14 47 61 
		
	
	
		
			 South Midlands and Hertfordshire 57 180 237 
			 2010 11 44 55 
			 2011 12 45 57 
			 2012 20 45 65 
			 2013 14 46 60 
			     
			 Thames Valley 117 190 307 
			 2010 23 68 91 
			 2011 26 42 68 
			 2012 39 38 77 
			 2013 29 42 71 
			     
			 Wessex 142 209 351 
			 2010 36 49 85 
			 2011 54 79 133 
			 2012 31 47 78 
			 2013 21 34 55 
			     
			 West Midlands 163 278 441 
			 2010 43 91 134 
			 2011 32 83 115 
			 2012 46 40 86 
			 2013 42 64 106 
			     
			 Yorkshire and Humber 178 354 532 
			 2010 29 97 126 
			 2011 35 108 143 
			 2012 49 84 133 
			 2013 65 65 130 
			     
			 Mid and West Wales 11 32 43 
			 2010 2 9 11 
			 20li 4 8 12 
			 2012 1 11 12 
			 2013 4 4 8 
			     
			 North Wales 4 17 21 
			 2010  5 5 
			 2011 3 6 9 
			 2012  3 3 
			 2013 1 3 4 
			     
			 South East Wales 23 64 87 
			 2010 2 16 18 
			 2011 8 31 39 
			 2012 5 U 16 
			 2013 8 6 14 
			     
			 Total 2,384 14,181 6,565 
			 1 Two lab reports where the PHE centres were not included relates to the two missing records for this total. Note: Laboratory reports are taken from LabBase2, an operational database that can be updated as the result of new information received.

Fathers

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what training health professionals receive on engaging with new fathers;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that maternity services acknowledge and provide support to new fathers.

Daniel Poulter: The engagement of fathers during pregnancy and the early years is extremely important for maximising the lifelong well-being and outcomes for children. The Healthy Child Programme for pregnancy and the first five years is the universal programme for all children. The programme recognises the contribution that fathers make to their children’s development and aims to ensure that contact with the family routinely involves and supports fathers.
	To support maternity services in their engagement with fathers, the Department funded “Reaching out: Involving Fathers in Maternity Care and Top Tips: Involving Fathers in Maternity Care”, which was published by the Royal College of Midwives in 2011. The guide provides top tips and useful insight into how all maternity service staff might best encourage fathers’ involvement throughout pregnancy and childbirth, and into fatherhood and family life. The guide is supported by the Fatherhood Institute and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
	Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a licensed preventive programme for vulnerable first-time young mothers. It offers intensive and structured home visiting, delivered by specially trained nurses, from early pregnancy until the child is two. FNP uses in-depth methods to work with young mothers and fathers on attachment, relationships and psychological preparation for parenthood, as well as supporting learning and changes in family health, well-being and child health and development. Family nurses build supportive relationships with families and guide first-time young parents so they can adopt healthier lifestyles for themselves and their babies, provide good care for their babies and plan their own futures. Fathers are actively invited to participate in FNP from the beginning, as a way of respecting their important contribution as a parent and partner.
	In addition, we have developed a resource pack “Preparation for birth and beyond: a resource pack for leaders of community groups and activities”, to help the national health service, local authorities and the voluntary sector with the planning of preparation for parenthood groups and activities. This is a practical tool which recognises the need to include fathers and other partners in groups and activities. It is available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparation-for-birth-and-beyond-a-resource-pack-for-leaders-of-community-groups-and-activities

Health Services: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) medical and (b) non-medical staff were employed in each NHS trust within London in the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Healthy Start Scheme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether someone who is sanctioned while a mother in receipt of jobseeker's allowance remains eligible for healthy start vouchers.

Daniel Poulter: Any pregnant woman or family with children under four years old entitled to income-based jobseeker's allowance is eligible to apply for Healthy Start vouchers. Once they have applied, they continue to receive the vouchers unless the Healthy Start Issuing Unit is notified by either Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs or Department for Work and Pensions that they are no longer eligible, or until the child's fourth birthday.
	A person entitled to jobseeker's allowance who receives a sanction nonetheless remains entitled to that allowance, and therefore also remains eligible for support from Healthy Start for any pregnant woman or child under four living with them. The majority of income-based-jobseeker's allowance claimants with children under four also qualify for Healthy Start through receipt of child tax credit.
	Anyone who stops receiving Healthy Start vouchers that they believe they are entitled to should contact the Healthy Start Issuing Unit helpline on 0845 607 6823 for assistance.

HIV Infection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many cases of HIV have been identified in (a) St Albans constituency, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) the UK in each year since 2005;
	(2)  if he will publish an analysis of the cases of HIV identified in (a) St Albans constituency, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) the UK among people of each (i) gender, (ii) age group and (iii) ethnicity group.

Jane Ellison: Tables 1 to 3 provide data on the number of new HIV diagnoses by key demographic information (gender, age at HIV diagnosis, ethnicity) for three geographical areas (UK, East of England and Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT)). There were 12 persons (all ages) newly-diagnosed with HIV in St Alban's local authority in 2005 and five between 2006 and 2012.
	Data were not broken-down further due to very small numbers. To ensure data presented do not inadvertently lead to disclosure of an individual, cells contents pertaining to less than 10 individuals are denoted ‘<10’.
	
		
			 Table 1: New HIV diagnoses by year of diagnosis and key demographic information: UK, 2005-12 
			   2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Sex Male 4,676 4,514 4,716 4,619 4,476 4,321 4,431 4,559 
			  Female 3,252 2,984 2,672 2,654 2,200 2,041 1,788 1,805 
			           
			 Age at diagnosis <20 299 289 261 239 224 220 196 171 
			  20-34 3,930 3,658 3,366 3,213 2,736 2,593 2,577 2,552 
			  35-49 3,011 2,917 3,053 3,020 2,808 2,700 2,569 2,651 
			  50+ 688 634 708 801 848 849 877 990 
			           
			 Ethnicity White 3,142 3,161 3,393 3,328 3,299 3,092 3,216 3,201 
			  Asian 145 ' 174 192 232 233 267 271 320 
			  Other/mixed 337 325 308 327 284 317 266 283 
			  Black Caribbean 272 244 218 253 241 194 159 147 
			  Black African 3,834 3,407 3,013 2,832 2,249 1,978 1,693 1,522 
			  Black other 114 119 140 145 128 126 92 100 
			  Unknown 84 68 124 156 242 388 522 791 
			 Total  7,928 7,498 7,388 7,273 6,676 6,362 6,219 6,364 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: New HIV diagnoses by year of diagnosis and key demographic information: East of England, 2005-12 
			   2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Sex Male 254 251 269. 229 192 239 197 ¦ 262 
			  Female 289 276 238 218 213 193 131 157 
			           
			 Age at diagnosis <20 15 19 11 18 10 16 10 <10 
			  20-34 234 256 215 167 150 165 120 147 
			  35-49 230 189 206 217 174 187 142 193 
			  50+ 64 63 75 45 71 64 56 70 
			           
			 Ethnicity White 149 173 206 130 164 192 156 192 
			  Asian <10 <10 <10 14 <10 ILJ <10 13 
			  Other/mixed 12 11 11 14 <10 13 11 10 
		
	
	
		
			  Black Caribbean <10 11 <10 11 11 10 <10 <10 
			  Black African 359 318 265 269 200 189 116 143 
			  Black other <10 <10 <10 <10 0 <10 <10 0 
			  Unknown <10 <10 <10 <10 14 14 26 55 
			 Total  543 527 507 447 405 432 328 419 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: New HIV diagnoses by year of diagnosis and key demographic information; Hertfordshire PCT, 2005-12 
			   2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Sex Male 43 36 42 43 29 40 30 36 
			  Female 45 42 36 43 43 33 23 21 
			           
			 Age at diagnosis <20 <10 <10 <10 <10 0 <10 <10 <10 
			  20-34 36 31 29 30 20 27 19 22 
			  35-49 39 31 31 45 40 38 26 27 
			  50+ <20 <20 <20 <10 12 <10 <10 <10 
			           
			 Ethnicity White 23 23 29 16 20 28 22 17 
			  Asian <10 <10 0 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 
			  Other/mixed <10 <10 <10 <10 0 0 <10 <10 
			  Black Caribbean <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 
			  Black African 55 46 43 58 44 37 21 23 
			  Black other 0 0 <10 0 0 0 <10 0 
			  Unknown 0 0 0 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 
			 Total  88 78 78 86 72 73 53 57 
			 Notes: 1. Data are sourced from laboratories, genito-urinary medicine clinics and other health care settings. 2. Areas when presented are area of diagnoses and not of residence, there is evidence that a large proportion of individuals are diagnosed outside of their area of residence. 3. Numbers will rise as further reports are received, particularly for recent years. 4. Cells are masked where cell sizes are 1-9.

HIV Infection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department provides for the treatment of HIV in (a) St Albans constituency, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) the UK.

Jane Ellison: Estimated 2011-12 expenditure on HIV treatment and care by former national health service primary care trusts (PCTs) in St Albans and Hertfordshire was £231,000, and in the area covered by the former East of England Strategic Health Authority £35,760,000. Estimated expenditure by former PCTs in England was approximately £642 million.
	This area of health policy is devolved to both Scotland and Wales; funding data for the United Kingdom is not available.

Hospital Beds: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust have been occupied by patients affected by delays in discharge in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of delayed discharges at the Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust for each of the last 12 months is shown in the following table. The patient snapshot refers to the number of patients affected on one day (the last Thursday) of each month.
	
		
			   Patient snapshot Total delayed days 
			  Period NHS Social Care Both Total NHS Social Care Both Total 
			 2012-13 January 37 0 0 37 1,090 23 0 1,113 
			 2012-13 February 36 0 0 36 736 0 0 736 
			 2012-13 March 24 0 0 24 843 12 0 855 
			 2013-14 April 30 0 0 30 733 0 0 733 
			 2013-14 May 27 0 0 27 803 0 0 803 
			 2013-14 June 26 0 0 26 813 0 0 813 
			 2013-14 July 28 0 0 28 999 0 0 999 
			 2013-14 August 33 0 0 33 851 5 0 856 
			 2013-14 September 35 0 0 35 899 0 0 899 
			 2013-14 October 22 0 0 22 782 0 0 782 
			 2013-14 November 20 0 0 20 652 0 0 652 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 December 21 0 0 21 746 0 0 746 
			 Source: NHS England Analytical Service

Hospital Beds: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds operated or owned by North West London Hospitals NHS Trust there were at (a) Central Middlesex Hospital, (b) Northwick Park Hospital and (c) other hospitals in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the average daily number of beds available at North West London Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the specified years.
	
		
			  Beds open overnight Beds open during the day only 
			 2010-11 738 96 
			 2011-12 760 94 
			 2012-13 727 109 
			 Source: Department of Health KH03.

Hospitals

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) staff and (b) budgetary resources have been allocated to the Chief Inspector of Hospitals.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 all providers of regulated activities have to register with CQC and meet a set of requirements of safety and quality.
	The CQC has provided the following information:
	The CQC has set out its purpose of ensuring services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and to encourage services to improve. To achieve this aim, the CQC is in the process of finalising its inspection schedule and budget with the Department for 2014-15. Any figures quoted are therefore subject to change.
	Based on current assumptions there are 131 inspectors that will form the core of the CQC's hospital inspection staff in April 2014. To deliver the programme of inspections (including the new approach to its new inspection process, and current approach of risk-based inspections and follow up inspections) the CQC estimates that this will increase to between 160 and 220 by June 2014. Full-time equivalent resources beyond quarter 1 of the financial year are expected to increase in line with the inspection schedule and to reflect the CQC's new approach as it is phased in.
	The staff resources for the chief inspector of hospitals are based on understanding the number of teams that are required to regulate the services. The teams include experts such as clinical associates and people who use services for example, Experts by Experience.
	The CQC has been given additional resources for this financial year to help us deliver the program of improvement to hospital inspections. The CQC is in the final stages of planning and budgeting for 2014-15 and when this is finalised they will be agreed with the Department. The CQC cannot supply a figure for the budget directly allocated to the hospital inspection directorate for 2013-14, given that the directorate's full first year of operation will be 2014-15.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of planned elective operations was cancelled in each week since 4 November 2013.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The latest available information on cancelled elective operations in the national health service in England is for the quarter ending 30 September 2013. This shows that 14,972 elective operations were cancelled by hospitals on or after the day of admission for non-clinical reasons in the quarter, representing 0.8% of 1,857,919 elective admissions.
	Information for the quarter ending 31 December 2013 is due to be published on 14 February 2014.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England waited for more than a year for treatment in each of the last three years.

Jane Ellison: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 National health service patients waiting more than 52 weeks for treatment, 2010-11 to 2012-13 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			  Admitted1 Non-admitted2 Admitted Non-admitted Admitted Non-admitted 
			 Coventry3 6 12 9 3 5 5 
			 West Midlands4 445 2,167 1,147 1,960 513 600 
		
	
	
		
			 England 4460 11,191 7,389 13,045 4,677 6,098 
			 1 Patients admitted to hospital. 2 Patients not admitted to hospital, for example those receiving out-patient treatment. 3 Patients where Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust was the responsible commissioner. 4 Patients where Primary Care Trusts in the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority were the responsible commissioner. Source: Consultant-led referral to treatment waiting times, NHS England, www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

Human Papillomavirus

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the HPV vaccination among young women since 2008.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE), and its predecessor organisation, the Health Protection Agency, has been assessing the effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme in England. PHE has been monitoring the prevalence of type-specific genital HPV infections through surveys that use specimens from young women in England. Data analysed in 2012 from specimens collected in 2010 to 2012 from young women included in the catch-up immunisation programme have shown a reduction in the two HPV types included in the vaccine, compared to similar data collected prior to the introduction of the HPV immunisation programme. These findings provide the first indication that the national HPV immunisation programme is successfully preventing HPV 16/18 infection in sexually active young women in' England. In the post-immunisation survey of 16 to 24-year-olds, the prevalence of the two vaccine types (HPV 16/18) was lowest in the youngest girls, 16-18 years, who had been vaccinated aged between 12-17 years. This group of girls, who had the highest vaccination coverage, experienced a reduction in the prevalence of HPV 16/18 from 19.1% pre-immunisation to 6.5% post-immunisation.
	The development of cancer typically takes many years following HPV infection: the impact of HPV vaccination on cancer cases will therefore take many years to be fully realised.

Joint Replacements

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people have had post-operative problems with a joint replacement in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: The information cannot be provided in the format requested. Figures for post-operative problems following joint replacements are generally not available.
	In the following tables, we have provided patient reported outcomes measure (PROM) data collected for certain specified problems reported by patients following surgery for total hip or knee replacements (including revisions) for the financial year, April 2011 to March 2012, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			 Knee replacement 
			  Number of  Of those with one or more problems   
			 Age group Procedures Available records One or more problems Allergy Bleeding Urinary Wound Re-admitted Further surgery 
			 50-59 9,411 4,969 1,696 607 451 432 735 565 260 
			 60-69 26,423 15,552 5,202 2,006 1,233 1,498 1,990 1,451 580 
			 70-79 28,548 16,581 5,688 2,082 1,171 1,994 2,015 1,517 477 
			 80-89 10,712 5,700 1,905 668 366 770 606 541 * 
			 90+ 376 181 60 18 13 26 19 11 * 
			 Total (50+) 75,470 42,983 14,551 5,381 3,234 4,720 5,365 4,085 1,447 
		
	
	
		
			 Hip replacement 
			  Number of  Of those with one or more problems   
			 Age group Procedures Available records One or more problems Allergy Bleeding Urinary Wound Re-admitted Further surgery 
			 50-59 9,831 5,442 1,584 584 313 544 562 370 155 
			 60-69 21,928 13,581 4,077 1,536 667 1,583 1,228 855 313 
			 70-79 24,875 14,828 4,450 1,566 702 1,961 1,269 1,150 375 
			 80-89 10,211 5,529 1,592 499 229 799 416 570 153 
			 90+ 600 272 86 29 14 52 20 . 28 8 
		
	
	
		
			 Total (50+) 67,455 39,652 11,789 4,214 1,925 4,939 3,495 2,973 1,004 
			 Notes: 1. All data are for activity in NHS hospitals in England and activity commissioned by the English NHS carried out in the independent sector in England. 2. Analysis is based on pre-operative questionnaires completed by patients under the PROMs programme between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2012 for which a post-operative questionnaire has been returned and which has been successfully matched to a record of hospital in-patient care. 3. All patients undergoing elective in-patient treatment for an eligible procedure are invited to complete PROMs questionnaires, but are not required to do so. 4. Not all patients who returned PROMs questionnaires answered questions on complications following surgery (allergy/reaction, urinary problems, bleeding, wound problems), although these questions were answered in a minimum of 86% of questionnaires. 5. Post-operative questionnaires are sent to and returned by patients following their surgery. Not all patients undergoing the relevant operations return questionnaires; the reasons for this will vary, but patients are not obliged to complete or return their questionnaires and some will simply have chosen not to do so. 6. The column ‘number of procedures’ refers to the number of hospital episodes recorded for this type of surgery, age group and financial year. It is contextual only as some records may relate to procedures conducted in other years. 7. The column ‘number of available records’ refers to the number of post-operative questionnaires where we were able to link to hospital in-patient data for analysis. 8. “*” denotes that this value has been suppressed to protect patient confidentiality. Values of <5 are suppressed, and additional values where it would be otherwise possible to derive suppressed values from the total. Source: Patient Reported Outcome Measures in England/Hospital Episode Statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Medical Records: Databases

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of households have not yet received a Better data means better care leaflet; and when he expects the leaflet drop to be completed.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England are in the process of surveying a sample of households to evaluate the effectiveness of the leaflet, “Better information means better care”, which includes asking whether they recall receiving the leaflet and how much of it they read. This will ensure that lessons are learnt to incorporate in future national mailings.
	Royal Mail was contracted to deliver the leaflet to every household in England during January 2014.

Medical Records: Databases

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patient data extracted through the care.data programme will be used to facilitate direct care for individual patients.

Daniel Poulter: The care.data programme will extract coded data from care settings to ensure that commissioners and providers obtain a more complete and balanced picture of the care being delivered to patients. Without joined-up information it is impossible to commission joined-up care or to address variations in the quality, efficiency and equity of health and social care service provision.

Medical Records: Databases

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the Information Governance Assessment on care.data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 29 August 2013;
	(2)  what use his Department makes of information governance assessments on care.data by the Health and Social Care Information Centre; and which is the most recent such assessment used by his Department.

Daniel Poulter: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) is responsible for ensuring that it meets all essential information governance requirements and like all bodies that process patient information must undertake an annual assessment of its performance in this area. Undertaking additional information governance or privacy impact assessments for specific programmes such as care.data helps an organisation like the HSCIC assure itself that it understands and is effectively managing risks to information.
	The information governance assessment for NHS England's care.data addendum endorsed on 3 October 2013 by the HSCIC as a key element of the Independent Advisory Group's (IAG) necessary work to discharge the HSCIC's responsibilities in respect of safeguarding patients' data. As with all other information governance assessments, it enabled the IAG to provide a view on whether the risks, particularly information governance risks, are balanced with the benefits that can be realised through extracting the data.
	The HSCIC information governance assessment concluded that there were some new risks that would need to be considered by NHS England. NHS England subsequently undertook a privacy impact assessment in January 2014 which set out to a satisfactory level how it would manage these risks.

NHS: Employment Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts provide specialist employment support; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not collect information about how many trusts provide specialist employment support. However, as major employers, many will have schemes to help local people into employment with them including, for example, for those with physical disabilities and mental health issues, support via the Government's access to work scheme. Trusts would also have access to occupational health services to advise on reasonable adjustments to support people in employment.

Northwick Park Hospital

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out at Northwick Park hospital in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: The numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCE) with any procedure or intervention which have taken place at Northwick Park hospital in each of the last five years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2008-09 28,893 
			 2009-10 30,296 
			 2010-11 33,255 
			 2011-12 36,641 
			 2012-13 39,328 
			 Note: An FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Obesity: Surgery

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that there should not be an upper age limit for gastric bypass operations; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: There is no upper age limit for gastric bypass operations. Operations are carried out on the basis of clinical need in accordance with NHS England's guidance "Clinical Commissioning Policy on Complex and Specialised Obesity Surgery". A copy of this guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Pay

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department are paid the living wage or above.

Daniel Poulter: The Government supports businesses that choose to pay the living wage. However, its prime policy concern is the national minimum wage for the low paid. This is independently set by the Low Pay Commission at a level that maximises the wages of the low paid without reducing their employment prospects. It is for workers and employers to decide the level of wages above the minimum wage based on current circumstances. This includes the Government as a procurer and an employer. Over 95%— around 20 million employees—earn above the minimum wage and the majority of public sector workers currently earn above the living wage. Government will always award contracts oh the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayers—which includes the low paid.
	All staff employed or engaged directly by the Department —civil servants, temporary and agency staff—are paid the living wage or above, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. Some staff, not employed or engaged by the Department but working for suppliers that provide services to the Department, are on rates less than the local Living Wage but above the minimum wage.

Prescription Drugs

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to respond to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency consultation on a proposed early access to medicines scheme which closed in October 2012.

Norman Lamb: Following the consultation, engagement has continued with interested parties and across Government. Discussions are at an advanced stage and an announcement will be made as soon as these have concluded.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Daniel Poulter: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Self-harm

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2014, Official Report, column 349W, on self-harm, how many people attended accident and emergency due to self-harm in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Norman Lamb: Data for the number of people attending accident and emergency (A&E) services due to self-harm in 2008-09 and 2009-10 are supplied in the following table.
	
		
			 Number and percentage of A&E attendances for self-harm1 and percentage of A&E attendances with patient group recorded as unknown or other for the years 2008-09 and 2009-10 
			  Number of A&E attendances for self-harm Percentage of attendances Percentage of attendances with ‘unknown’ patient group Percentage of attendances with ‘other’ or ‘other accident’ group 
			 2008-09 101, 670 0.7 4.2 90.1 
			 2009-10 108,312 0.7 5.1 89.3 
			 1 A code that indicates the reason for the A&E episode. Group 30 indicates those attending because of deliberate self-harm. Note: The table contains data for activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the role played by civil society organisations in Bangladesh's democracy.

Alan Duncan: Bangladeshi civil society makes an important contribution to democracy, including through holding the Government to account, calling for changes to policy, and challenging corruption. DFID works with a wide range of civil society organisations to improve governance in Bangladesh.

Criminal Investigation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which organisation her Department and its subsidiary body use to tackle internal instances of crime, including corruption and fraud; and whether she has designated this organisation or any individual within it to grant authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department's Counter Fraud and Whistleblowing Unit (CFWU), based within DFID's Internal Audit Department, is responsible for managing all internal and external referrals on crime, corruption and fraud. The CFWU team includes a core team of counter fraud specialists who focus primarily on the assessment and investigation of allegations.
	The Department is not a prescribed relevant public authority under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the extent of the UK's involvement in abortion provision overseas in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2122.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK welcomes the Security Council's focus on improving access to sexual and reproductive health. The UK funds partners to deliver comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including in humanitarian situations; we encourage other donors and partner agencies to do likewise. These services may include improving access to safe abortion in line with our policy paper on safe and unsafe abortion. In addition, we are currently developing new work to make sure that comprehensive SRH health services are included in emergency response and recovery and to build resilience in countries so they can be better prepared.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what plans he has to consult Parliament about the policies he has announced regarding the use of development aid for abortion services which are unlawful in the jurisdiction in which the UK is procuring them;
	(2)  what obligations on the UK in relation to the provision of abortions arise from UN Security Council Resolution 2122; and pursuant to the answer to Lord Lester of 21 January 2014, Official Report,House of Lords, column 93WA, on abortion, which activities are required as a matter of international law;
	(3)  whether the abortions referred to in the written answer to Lord Lester of 21 January 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, column 93WA, would be performed on the request of the mother at any stage of gestation; what other criteria would be applied, if any; and if he will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: On access to abortion services, UK policy is clear: Where abortion is permitted, we can consider support for activities to improve the quality, safety and accessibility of abortion services. UK development assistance is not used to procure illegal services. However, where access to safe abortion is highly restricted and maternal mortality and morbidity are high, which is often the case in conflict settings, we can help make the consequences of unsafe abortion more widely understood and can support processes of legal and policy reform.
	The UK welcomes the Security Council's focus on improving access to sexual and reproductive health—also a UK priority. In conflict situations UK-funded medical care is provided by humanitarian organisations. These organisations work according to humanitarian principles which include providing aid according to need and need alone and without discrimination of any kind. Our partners are fully conversant with international humanitarian law principals. UN Security Council Resolution 2122(2013) does not impose any additional obligations in this respect.

Overseas Aid

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects funded by her Department have been (a) given an extension of or (b) started with a value of more than £50,000 in the current financial year.

Justine Greening: The information is as follows:
	Part (a): Projects that have been given an extension of more than £50,000 in the current financial year
	Projects which have been given an extension worth over £5 million in the current financial year are:
	Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB)
	Health Partnership Scheme (HPS)
	Economic Empowerment of the Poorest
	Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy
	Girls-Participatory Approaches to Students' Success (PASS)
	Evidence Base to catalyse a global market for Clean Cookstoves Extension
	Mobile-Enable Community Services Extension (MECS)
	Strengthening Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in Kenya plus (StARCK+) Programme
	Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) Extension
	Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT II)
	Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN)
	These programmes were given a cost extension in order to achieve significant additional results.
	Part (b): Projects that have started in the current financial year and had a value of more than £50,000
	274 projects with a value of more than £50,000 have been approved this financial year. I have arranged for a list of these projects to be placed in the Libraries of the House. More information on international development projects funded the UK Government is available on the Development Tracker, at
	http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/

Palestinians

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to end aid dependency through the creation of jobs in Gaza.

Alan Duncan: DFID aims to support the creation of sustainable jobs though its programmes, such as a UN Relief and Works Agency job creation programme in Gaza, a World Food Programme project to provide vouchers for purchasing goods including those produced locally, and the Palestinian Market Development Programme which aims to support companies to develop new products and markets. There is no immediate prospect of ending Gaza's dependency on aid.

Philippines

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the announcement made during her visit to the Philippines on 24 November 2013, which cities will be allocated the £5 million investment in resilience; and how these cities were selected.

Justine Greening: The Managing Climate Risk for the Urban Poor programme will help fast-growing cities reduce the risks poor people face from floods, storms or droughts related to climate change. The process to select the cities in the Philippines is currently under way.

Philippines

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the announcement made during her visit to the Philippines on 24 November 2013, whether the £5 million investment in resilience will be used to rebuild destroyed evacuation centres and storm shelters; and what plans she has to make further funding available for this purpose.

Justine Greening: The programme will help fast-growing cities reduce the risks poor people face from floods, storms or droughts related to climate change. An additional £15 million has been committed to the early recovery effort, bringing the UK's total contribution to more than £75 million, to help more than a million people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many public appointments her Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the funding streams his Department has to the Afghan Government; what the purposes are for the funding in each case; what steps he is taking to ensure that such funds are used by the Afghans for the intended purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: holding answer 4 February 2014
	There are currently no Ministry of Defence specific funding streams provided to the Afghan Government.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review current armed forces redundancy legislation covering service personnel made compulsorily redundant close to pension point.

Andrew Murrison: The decision to run an Armed Forces Redundancy Scheme was a difficult one, and over the period of the redundancy programme we have given very careful consideration to the possibility of changing the current legislation to address the concerns expressed by some of our personnel. However, we have concluded that it would be unfair to make proximity to immediate pension point a selection criterion for redundancy and we have maintained that approach throughout all four tranches of the programme. We have looked at the alternatives and concluded that wherever we draw the line somebody will always be just over it, and facing the possibility of perceived disadvantage.
	The current Armed Forces Redundancy Schemes recognise those who miss out on immediate incomes by paying them significantly enhanced tax-free redundancy compensation lump sums. On average, this figure is around £73,000 and for an Army Major it can on average be around £100,000. Where people leave before the qualification point, any pension rights that have been earned will also give them preserved pensions and further tax-free lump sums which they will receive at age 60 or 65, depending on the pension scheme of which they are members.

Army: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what proportion of Parachute Regiment recruit training courses are at full capacity;
	(2)  what proportion of infantry recruit training courses are at full capacity.

Andrew Murrison: Very few courses are currently running near to full capacity. We expect the position to change in 2014-15.

Criminal Investigation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which organisation his Department and its subsidiary bodies use to tackle internal instances of crime, including corruption and fraud; and whether he has designated this organisation or any individual within it to grant authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and the service police investigate reported allegations of crime that fall within their respective jurisdictions. In addition, the Counter Fraud and Loss Prevention Unit supports efforts to reduce fraud and theft. A new Counter Fraud Strategy and a Counter Fraud and Loss Prevention Board has been established to drive improvements in managing the risk of fraud and loss across the MOD.
	The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, section 28 and the orders made under the Act specifically allow the MDP and service police to undertake directed surveillance. There is therefore no requirement for the Secretary of State for Defence to designate these organisations. All directed surveillance is conducted in full compliance with the legislative requirements.

MOD Donnington

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has held with Telford and Wrekin Borough Council on the expansion of MoD Donnington.

Andrew Murrison: Discussions with Telford and Wrekin council concerning the potential redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence Logistics Commodities and Services (LCS) Donnington site have taken place within the context of the LCS Transformation project (LCS(T)). Similar discussions have also taken place with Cherwell district council about the potential redevelopment of LCS Bicester.
	It is too early to state what the impact of LCS(T) will be on either of these sites.

Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets his Department has sold in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the value of each such sale was.

Andrew Murrison: Assets disposed of in Northern Ireland are listed in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year (FY) of sale Asset name Town Sale price (£) 
			 FY2008-09 Castle Park Houses Antrim 750,000 
			  Walworth Houses Ballykelly 2,001,175 
			  Foyle Drive Houses Ballykelly 1,863,000 
			  Pond Park Houses Lisburn 7,000,000 
			  Land at Pond Park Lisburn 70,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Lisnaskea Base Lisnaskea 1 
			  Crossgar Ballynahinch 400,000 
			     
			 FY2009-10 Land at Walworth Drive Ballykelly 47,500 
			  Mill Road, Bessbrook Bessbrook 153,000 
			  Knockdene Park North Belfast 530,000 
			  Quarry Road Belfast 257,500 
			  Clooney Road Houses Ballykelly 4,250,000 
			     
			 FY2010-11 Land at Rathfriland Banbridge 1 
			  Dalwhinney Road Holywood 260,000 
			  Part St Lucia Barracks Omagh 12,850 
			  SF Base (Forkhill) Forkhill 750,000 
			  Stormont Park Houses Belfast 282,000 
			     
			 FY2011-12 Harmony House Lisburn 1,110,000 
			  St Patricks Barracks Ballymena 10 
			  St Patricks Barracks (Houses) Ballymena 10 
			  Shackleton Barracks Ballykelly 10 
			  Lisanelly Barracks Omagh 10 
			  St Lucia Barracks Omagh 10 
			  Carolsteen Park Houses Bangor 200,000 
			  Laurel Hill House Coleraine 150,000 
			  Waste Water Works Magiligan 25,000 
			  Clonaver Crescent Houses Belfast 621,000 
			     
			 FY2012-13 Magiligan Training Centre-Pumping Station Site Magiligan 5,000 
			  Shackleton Barracks-Church Land Ballykelly 2,000 
			  Dog Kennel Close Houses Lisburn 550,000 
			  Dog Kennel Crescent Houses Lisburn 850,000 
			     
			 FY2013-14 (to date) Drumadd Barracks Armagh 337,000 
			  Magheralave Park Houses Lisburn 330,500 
			  Masserene Barracks Antrim 2,600,000 
			 1 Transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive

Property

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) name, (b) location, (c) floor space, (d) tenure status and (e) value is of properties (i) owned and (ii) occupied by (A) his Department and (B) agencies and public bodies accountable to him.

Andrew Murrison: A list of Ministry of Defence sites has been placed in the Library of the House. In addition, properties valued at greater than £1 million are listed in the National Asset Register:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm70/7022/7022.pdf
	The floor space and tenure status could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tornado Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps were taken in respect of recommendation 95 in the Tornado Airworthiness Review Team Report Table of Recommendations, Action Officers and Status Notes dated 5 February 1998;
	(2)  what safety issues were identified in recommendation 95 of the Tornado Airworthiness Review Team Report Table of Recommendations, Action Officers and Status Notes dated 5 February 1998 regarding the Tornado's ejection seat.

Philip Dunne: I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Trident

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the net book value is of a single Trident warhead.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 September 2013, Official Report, column 409W. The total net book value of the nuclear warhead stockpile is £273.7 million. There is no common net book value for individual warheads due to differing levels of depreciation.
	The standard application of net book value takes account of depreciation which depends on individual assets' in-service dates.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Government's commitment to give due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making new policy and legislation, if he will place in the Library all assessments of how new policy and legislation from his Department since January 2013 has given due consideration to the UNCRC.

Andrew Murrison: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), on 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 92W, to the hon. Member for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham).
	The Ministry of Defence, and the wider Government, is fully committed to considering the impact of all new policies and legislation, where they impact specifically on children.
	The Government is due to report to the UN Committee responsible for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shortly. The Department for Education is coordinating the response with contributions from other Government Departments, including the work that the Ministry of Defence has undertaken. Once the Government has submitted its response to the UN Committee, a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what potential co-operative opportunities have been identified by his Department as potentially benefiting from the proposed Joint User Group for Reaper. [R]

Philip Dunne: In consultation with the US, the proposed Joint User Group for the Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft System may develop cooperative opportunities through the exchange of lessons learnt and explore working with other nations in areas such as air certification, training, through life support and interoperability.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 598W on unmanned aerial vehicles, what future basing options his Department has identified for the Reaper capability following the end of ISAF operations in Afghanistan. [R]

Philip Dunne: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 598W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham and Rainham (Rehman Chishti).

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Guided Weapons

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the joint UK-US firing trials of Brimstone missiles which took place at China Lake in December 2013 and January 2014 from MQ-9 Reaper. [R]

Philip Dunne: The trials completed in January 2014 and the data are still being analysed, therefore the results are not yet available.

World War I: War Memorials

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what funding support is available (a) for new war memorials to honour those killed in the First World War and (b) to recognise the contribution of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry;
	(2)  if his Department will support the erection of a memorial to the King's Shropshire Light Infantry at the National Arboretum.

Andrew Murrison: I am always pleased to hear of plans to commemorate those who have served their country, and I would warmly welcome a memorial to the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, who have played such a distinguished role in many theatres. However, my hon. Friend will be aware that it is the policy of successive Governments that the cost of erecting new memorials is not usually met from public funds, but from private donations or public subscription. Responsibility for the design, location, maintenance, protection, and any decision about what a memorial commemorates rests with the owner, or the organisation in which ownership is vested.

Yemen

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2014, Official Report, column 69 on Yemen, what steps his Department is taking to support the Yemeni and US governments in combating any common threat. [R]

Andrew Murrison: We continue to support the Government of Yemen to counter the threat posed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsular. As part of his routine engagement the Defence Attaché in Sana'a has regular meetings with members of the Yemeni Armed and Security Forces and with his US counterpart.
	We are not currently providing any training to the Yemeni Armed Forces in Yemen although we continue to provide training to a small number of Yemeni Officers on professional development courses in the UK.

TRANSPORT

Criminal Investigation

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisation his Department and its subsidiary bodies use to tackle internal instances of crime, including corruption and fraud; and whether he has designated this organisation or any individual within it to grant authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Stephen Hammond: The Department's fraud policy states that Internal Audit are responsible for carrying out investigations in areas where fraud has occurred, either independently or in collaboration with line managers or nominated members of staff. The DfT Fraud and Bribery Response Plan states that the Head of Internal Audit should ensure that all investigations are carried out by suitably qualified persons. This may include internal audit or others, and where necessary the police. In practice, no internal audit staff have been granted authorisation for carrying out directed surveillance under Section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Similar principles normally apply in the Department's agencies.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has used one organisation, Robertson and Co., to carry out surveillance in one case. RIPA authorisation was not required, but in order to ensure good practice, a process that mirrored the RIPA process was used. DVLA investigations relating to crime, including corruption and fraud, are dealt with in accordance with DVLA Fraud Policy, by internal investigators, line management or HR as appropriate. Agreement is sought from the police or other prosecuting authorities to pursue appropriate investigations to prosecution. DVLA do not have the authority to carry out directed surveillance within the agency. The Driving Standards Agency uses Outforce Corporate Investigations Limited (OCI) to conduct internal investigations of crime, corruption or fraud. While, under section 28 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, their chief executive has statutory powers to grant authorisation to third parties to conduct limited directed surveillance on the Agency's behalf, this authorisation has not been designated to OCI and must be authorised personally by the chief executive in every case. OCI do carry out limited direct surveillance on behalf of the former DSA though this practice must be reviewed and approved by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner every two years.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) public and (b) private bodies to which the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea is authorised to release the (i) identities and (ii) home addresses of car registration numbers.

Stephen Hammond: No definitive list exists of those who may receive vehicle keeper data.
	Information concerning the types of customers requesting DVLA data, the reasons why it is requested, and the volumes of enquiries processed can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/who-dvla-shares-data-with

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Information Commissioner's Office on the propriety of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea releasing personal data of car registration number owners to private companies; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) regularly meets with the Information Commissioner's Office about the arrangements for managing the disclosure of vehicle keeper data to private companies.
	Following its most recent audit of the DVLA's procedures for releasing vehicle keeper data, the Information Commissioner's Office found that there was a high level of assurance that processes were in place to mitigate against the risks of non-compliance with data protection requirements.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea carries out on the (a) bona fides and (b) operating standards of private parking companies before releasing personal data to such companies about the owners of car registration numbers.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) carries out a range of checks before releasing information to private parking companies. Companies must be members of an appropriate accredited trade association. Prior to granting membership, the accredited trade association must check the company’s operations to ensure that they comply with the relevant code of practice.
	The DVLA scrutinises all manual requests for information to ensure that the company is genuine and that the request is appropriate. This includes confirming that the company is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, Companies House and the appropriate accredited trade association. Requests that fail to satisfy these checks are refused.
	Companies wishing to request data through an electronic link must first serve a six-month probationary period making manual requests only. This allows the DVLA to monitor the company’s compliance, operating standards and use of the data before deciding whether an electronic link can be permitted.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance under which the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea has been providing personal data of car registration number owners to private parking companies.

Stephen Hammond: No single guidance document sets out the arrangements for the release of vehicle information to private parking companies.
	The law allows for the release of this information to those who can demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it.
	A range of safeguards is in place to ensure that data is released only where it is fair and lawful. Private parking companies requesting vehicle keeper data must be members of an appropriate accredited trade association and abide by its code of practice.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea shall not in future supply private car parking companies with the personal data of car registration number owners; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: There are no current plans to change the policy relating to the release of vehicle information to private car parking companies.
	The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper information to those able to demonstrate reasonable cause to receive it. The DVLA has a range of safeguards in place to ensure that the data is released only where it is fair and lawful to do so.
	The DVLA established a consumer forum for private parking matters in 2012, comprising of representation from DFT and the DVLA, Trading Standards, Citizens Advice, AA, RAC Foundation, Association of Car Fleet Operators, British Parking Association, Independent Parking Committee and independent consumer representation. Its aim is to examine high level issues and concerns relating to the release of vehicle keeper data for car parking enforcement and help deliver continuous improvement in standards in the sector.

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on incorporating legal highs in the remit of drug-driving offences.

Robert Goodwill: We have not had any specific representations other than a number of respondents to the Government's consultation on the drugs and their limits to be specified in regulations should also include so called “legal highs”. We will be publishing our response to the consultation shortly.
	The new section 5A offence in the Road Traffic Act 1988 only allows specifying drugs that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) 1971. The Home Office has an existing regime to consider the risks that any new drug may present to the public. Specifying drugs not controlled under the MDA would by-pass that regime. In addition, the expert panel recommended the drugs that are most evident in drug driving after extensively reviewing the evidence. The Government believes that it is right to proceed with the evidence as it currently exists and monitor the new offence as we intend to do.
	The Department will continue to gather and review evidence on which drugs are found in the driving population, so that this can be reflected in any future revisions to the regulations. Any driver who is impaired by any drug including so called “legal highs” not covered in section 5A can still be prosecuted under the existing section 4 “impairment” offence.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate HS2 Ltd has made of the number of classic compatible services originating at stations north of Wigan which will (a) call at and (b) terminate at Manchester Piccadilly once phase 2 of High Speed 2 is complete.

Robert Goodwill: The service pattern developed by HS2 Ltd assumes the proposed route that was released for public consultation on 17 July 2013 and does not envisage that any services originating north of Wigan would be calling at or terminating at Manchester Piccadilly. However this service specification has only been developed for modelling purposes and is purely indicative. It is not binding on what services will eventually operate on HS2 as it is not possible to write the timetable this far in advance of the proposed opening of the network.
	A decision on the Government's preferred route for Phase Two will be taken by the Secretary of State by the end of 2014. The train service pattern, and ultimately the timetable for HS2 services, will be subject to the usual industry planning processes before bringing the scheme into operation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements will be required to the existing West Coast Main Line north of Wigan to allow classic compatible services to run to stations beyond Preston; and what estimate HS2 Ltd has made of the cost of such improvements.

Robert Goodwill: The consultation on the Phase Two route closed at the end of January 2014. A decision on this route is expected before the end of 2014.
	Under the route we consulted on platform extensions would be required at Preston station and Carstairs—where classic compatible trains would split to serve Edinburgh and Glasgow—to accommodate the proposed 400 metre long trains. The track layout at Carstairs would also need to be remodelled.
	A high level estimate of the works to both Preston and Carstairs suggests these works would cost approximately £151 million (including contingency), this is included in the HS2 budget for Phase 2.
	Further work is being undertaken by HS2 Ltd and Network Rail on the introduction of classic compatible trains onto the WCML between Golborne and Scotland as well as the selection of Carstairs as preferred location for splitting and joining classic compatible trains.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which other sites were considered as potential locations for the rolling stock maintenance depot currently planned for Bamfurlong.

Robert Goodwill: A long list of options for rolling stock maintenance depots was generated following a sifting exercise of all the potential options identified by HS2 Ltd. 21 potential rolling stock maintenance depot locations were identified on the western leg and these were further sifted down to derive the Golborne option presented as part of the proposed scheme for consultation. All depot options can be found in the report ‘Engineering Options: West Midlands to Manchester’.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2013, Official Report, column 771W, on High Speed 2 Railway Line, which individual upgrades HS2 Ltd believes are required to the existing West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Wigan to enable classic compatible services to Preston and beyond without the Winterbottom to Bamfurlong spur; and what the cost estimate of each individual upgrade is.

Robert Goodwill: The consultation on the Phase Two route closed at the end of January 2014. A decision on this route is expected before the end of 2014.
	Under the route that was consulted on, significant works would be required between Crewe and Warrington, involving the widening and four-tracking along 24 km of the route, where there are significant constraints. In addition, Crewe station and the junction would need to be remodelled or an additional grade separated junction from the high speed line to the north of the Crewe tunnel would need to be provided.
	HS2 Ltd have not looked in detail at these works or the potential associated costs.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a redacted version of the Major Projects Report excluding any content detrimental to the developer of the High Speed 2 project.

Robert Goodwill: On 30 January 2014 the Secretary of State for Transport exercised the power of veto to withhold the release of the November 2011 Major Projects Authority Project Assessment Review report. A copy of his statement of reasons has been provided to both Libraries of the Houses of Parliament.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the result of the compensation consultation on High Speed 2 will be published.

Robert Goodwill: I cannot confirm the date when the decisions on long-term discretionary compensation measures will be announced as responses to the consultation are still being considered. However, it is our intention to have schemes in place by the summer.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the announcement in the Autumn Statement 2013 on changes to rules on vehicle tax discs, what guidance his Department plans to issue to car dealers and repair workshops on (a) determining whether a car is taxed, (b) determining whether to use trade plates when road-testing a car and (c) informing customers of the tax status of loaned cars.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is developing a detailed communications strategy that will support the abolition of the tax disc. This will be delivered in consultation with stakeholders and will ensure that the differing needs of the motor industry and the general public are recognised. Specific advice will be provided on how to check the licensing status of vehicles.

Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assets his Department has sold in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the value of each such sale was.

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport has not sold any assets in Northern Ireland during the last five years.

Parking: Fines

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount of local authority revenue generated from parking charges and fines deriving from the use of fixed and mobile closed circuit television cameras in the latest period for which figures are available.

Robert Goodwill: The figures are not centrally collected. Local authority financial returns to the Department of Communities and Local Government do not show whether income from parking penalty charge notices (PCNs) is from fixed and mobile closed circuit television cameras.
	An analysis of local authority parking finances in England by the RAC Foundation published in December 2013 reports that total income from parking in 2012-13 was £1.4 billion of which £0.4 billion comes from on-street tickets and permits, £0.35 billion from on-street penalty charges and £0.6 billion from off-street charges and penalties.

Private Roads

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to encourage the adoption of unadopted roads where there is a dispute over responsibility for paying for essential maintenance.

Robert Goodwill: The decision on whether or not local authorities adopt roads on new residential developments, and therefore maintain those roads at the public expense, rests with each individual local highway authority. While we would expect them to act reasonably in all matters we would not seek, nor do we have powers, to influence them in these matters.
	The Department has worked with representatives of the home building sector and with local highway authorities, and has encouraged them to work together to make best use of the existing powers for road adoption at their disposal. To assist this we have developed some model planning conditions that, where used, should work to ensure that roads on new residential developments are built to an acceptable standard, so that adoption can take place.
	We are currently considering the effectiveness of the draft planning conditions we issued, and will be happy to write to you and update you on the outcomes in June.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Stephen Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Public Expenditure

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport into which budgets the £16 million removed from the accounting category Transport Security in his Department's 2013-14 budget was moved; and what guarantees are in place to ensure the same provision of security is maintained under the new budget allocation.

Robert Goodwill: The £16 million was moved internally from the Transport Security budget line to Maritime and Aviation Security and included within the following lines:
	+£39 million resource increase for Maritime, £26.6 million relating to the transfer from MOD of SAR Helicopters.
	+£14 million resource increase for Aviation, including £5 million for the Airports Commission.
	There is no reduction to the overall security budget. Transport Security teams are aligned with their modal counterparts and transport security work, rather than in a separate Transport Security Directorate. The movement of budgets now reflects this structure and the roles and responsibilities for modal security teams remain unchanged. A cross-modal team co-ordinates transport security across the Department and we have instituted senior level governance structures to ensure that the complete transport security programme is maintained.

Public Expenditure

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail the sources of revenue within the sales of assets accounting category for the Marine and Coastguard Agency in the financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Stephen Hammond: The sources of revenue within the sales of assets accounting category for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for the financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14 are as follows:
	
		
			  £000  
			 2012-13   
			 Land 1,520 Home and Communities Agency 
			 Buildings 115 Private individuals/companies 
			 Vehicles and Boats 70 Inchcape and Lochin Marine 
			 Other Plant 41 Bristow Helicopters/CHC Scotia 
			 Proceeds 1,746  
			    
			 2013-14   
			 Per Main Supply Estimate 475

Public Expenditure

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail the £70 million liability attached to the International Maritime Organisation building.

Stephen Hammond: The Department for Transport (DFT) owns the freehold of 4 Albert Embankment; the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) hold the property on a lease until 2032. The United Kingdom is the host nation to this UN body and the terms of the lease reflect that relationship. The DFT could be liable to reinstate the property in the event of its destruction by fire or other causes. The replacement cost of £70 million is a contingency sum; it is based on a figure estimated in 2005-06 as increased by an index, plus a sum for rental income foregone during the replacement process.

Public Expenditure

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the reasons for the growth in the cost of central administration in his Department between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 financial years.

Robert Goodwill: The following table provides a comparison of the Department's Estimates provision for 2012-13 and 2013-14 for Section O (Central Administration). There has been no increase in the provision for departmental expenditure limit related to this expenditure.
	
		
			 £000 
			  2012-13 Plans 2013-14 Plans 
			 Departmental Expenditure Limit   
			 Section O: Central Administration 225,472 176,194 
			 of which:   
			 Administration 175,966 155,789 
			 Programme—Resource 49,306 17,686 
			 Programme—Capital 8,399 2,719 
		
	
	The Department's accounts for 2012-13 give an explanation of the variations between budgeted spend and outturn for 2012-13. These are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-transport-annual-report-and-accounts

Public Expenditure

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail the components of income via interest and dividends in the accounting category K: Aviation, Maritime, Security and Safety in the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Stephen Hammond: The components of income via interest and dividends in the accounting category K: Aviation, Maritime, Security and Safety for the financial years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 relate to the Department for Transport's shareholding in National Air Traffic Services (NATS).
	Details of the dividends received in each year are as follows:
	
		
			 Total dividends received by HMG 
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 24.8 
			 2012-13 19.6 
			 2013-14 30.3

Railways: Franchises

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Livingston of 16 January 2014, Official Report, column 646W, on East Coast Railway Line, if he will publish the minutes and any papers from his Department's meetings monitoring train operator performance.

Stephen Hammond: The dialogue and actions agreed with operators are commercially sensitive; however the Office of Rail Regulation and Network Rail regularly publish performance statistics for all train operators.

Railways: Freight

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure alternative strategic rail freight interchange sites to Radlett are fully explored.

Stephen Hammond: The assessment of alternative strategic rail freight interchange sites is properly a commercial matter for the private sector and will continue to be determined through the planning process.

Railways: Freight

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what impact London Gateway will have on rail freight interchanges in London and the South East.

Stephen Hammond: Network Rail has advised that its recently published study of freight markets identified strong growth in demand for intermodal freight services over 30 years requiring the development of new terminals around major conurbations throughout the country.
	The response to that demand, however, is properly a commercial matter for the private sector strategic rail freight interchanges concerned and the logistics and distribution markets.

Railways: Freight

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for the rail freight line between Southampton and the West Midlands. [R]

Robert Goodwill: There is no specific “rail freight line” between Southampton and the west midlands, but this is a key route for rail container traffic from the port of Southampton. As part of its Rail Investment Strategy for 2014-19 the Government announced the creation of the ‘Electric spine’, a high capacity passenger and freight electric corridor running from the south coast through Oxford, Bedford and via the Midland Main Line to the east midlands and South Yorkshire, with a link from Oxford to the west midlands and the north-west. Government is looking to Network Rail to convert the route from Southampton to Basingstoke to overhead electrification and to electrify the sections between Basingstoke and Reading and between Oxford and Coventry via Leamington. The work should include gauge clearance for large containers and appropriate links to depots and freight facilities.
	In addition to these specific works, the Government has committed £200 million towards the further development of the Strategic rail Freight Network. These funds are allocated by the rail freight industry itself to develop those sections of the network that are of particular strategic importance for freight.

Railways: Radlett

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the 30-year life expectancy of the proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Radlett.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State has made no such assessment since the development and management of Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges is a matter for the private sector.

Railways: Sundon

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evaluation he has made of the proposed Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Sundon with the newly-created passing loop.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State has made no such evaluation. The assessment of Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges is made through the planning process, and the assessment of the capability and capacity of the passing loop is an operational matter for Network Rail.
	Network Rail has advised that the new passing loop has been designed to be compatible with the adjacent proposed Prologis terminal development.

Road Traffic Offences

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people prosecuted under the Road Traffic Act 1988 were prosecuted for an offence while they were participating in authorised off-road motor events in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Goodwill: The Department of Transport does not hold any criminal prosecution data. These data are held by the Ministry of Justice.
	The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify from these centrally held data whether an offender, prosecuted for an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, committed an offence while participating in an authorised off-road motor event. This detailed information may be held by the courts on individual case files which due to their size and complexity are not reported to Justice Statistics Analytical Services. As such, it can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Roads: Capital Investment

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of roads capital spending by his Department was spent on facilities primarily aimed at (a) motor vehicles, (b) pedestrians and (c) cyclists in the last year.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport is providing capital funding through a number of funding streams that benefit highways and provide facilities for road users, including (a) motorists, (b) cyclists and (c) pedestrians. The Department for Transport does not centrally hold information on what proportion of this funding is spent on each.

Severn River Crossing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, columns 13-14W, on tolls, what the (a) gross and (b) net revenue from the (i) Severn Bridge and (ii) Second Severn Crossing was in 2012.

Robert Goodwill: The Severn River Crossings had gross revenue of £97.5 million and net revenue of £81.2 million in year ending 31 December 2012. This information is not split by crossing as Severn River Crossings Ltd (the concessioner) operates the crossings as a single concession. In 2012 it is estimated that 25% of toll-paying traffic used the Severn Bridge and 75% of toll-paying traffic used the Second Severn Crossing. The answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, columns 13-14W, was based on traffic count data not tolling data.

Water Sports: Accidents

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of current powers of harbour authorities for preventing accidents involving jet skis.

Stephen Hammond: Harbour authorities can do much to prevent accidents involving personal watercraft by working with local user groups and hire companies to encourage the safe and competent use of such vessels. They can also draw on advice published by national organisations, such as the Royal Yachting Association's Safety Advisory Notice for recreational mariners which was published in January. The combination of existing national legislation and well-crafted harbour byelaws provides adequate coverage for deterring or prosecuting misdemeanours.

West Coast Railway Line

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for the tender for the next west coast main line franchise.

Stephen Hammond: The current inter-city west coast franchise ends in November 2014. As announced by the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), on 26 March 2013, the Department is in the process of negotiating a new inter-city west coast franchise by Direct Award for the provision of services until the commencement of the next competed franchise.
	The next competed inter-city west coast franchise is due to begin serving passengers in April 2017. As set out in the Programme Prior Information Notice published at the same time, we currently plan to issue the OJEU notice and pre-qualification documentation in August 2015, with the invitation to tender following in January 2016 for pre-qualified bidders.

JUSTICE

Community Orders: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints have been received on Community Payback since Serco was awarded the contract for that scheme in London; and on what date that contract commenced.

Jeremy Wright: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 17 January in reply to a similar question and placed a copy of my letter in the House Library.
	The Ministry of Justice has not received any complaints about delivery of Community Payback in London by Serco. Data provided by Serco on complaints to the company itself indicate that during the period 31 October 2012 to 31 October 2013 the company received 69 complaints relating to Community Payback in London.
	The contract with Serco Group plc commenced on 31 October 2012. It was agreed with the contractor at the start of the contract that the period up until 30 April 2013 would be a “bedding-in” period, after which formal assessment against targets would begin.
	Serco is meeting key targets and out-performing the national average on a number of key measures. Key performance measures and outcomes during 2013-14 will be published at the year end, on a similar basis to that used in the Management Information Addendum to the National Offender Management Service Annual Report, once the data have been validated.

Courts: Translation Services

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court cases were delayed as a result of a lack of an interpreter or translator in each month since the court interpreter contract started.

Shailesh Vara: The contract with Capita-TI was introduced in criminal courts in the north-west in December 2011 and was implemented across the rest of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service on 30 January 2012. Figures are not available for the number of court cases delayed a result of problems with interpreters. The Ministry of Justice does, however, publish statistics on the number of criminal trials that were ineffective and the reasons for that. These are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-statistics-quarterly--2
	We have seen dramatic improvements over the life of the contract so far, record numbers of bookings are now being made and fulfilment rates are regularly achieving 95%. Complaint levels are very low and we continue to drive further improvement. The interpreting contract was introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system and it has already saved taxpayers £15 million in its first year.

Death By Driving: Sentences

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on increasing maximum sentences for those convicted of causing death when driving while disqualified or uninsured.

Jeremy Wright: During the debate on dangerous driving on 27 January, I committed to consider the concerns raised by Members about maximum penalties for serious road traffic offences. We are looking particularly closely at current penalties for disqualified drivers who cause death or serious injury following representations my hon. Friend has made on behalf of the Stock family.

Employment and Support Allowance Appeals

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on ensuring that the judiciary provide the Department for Work and Pensions and appellants with reasons for their decisions on employment and support allowance appeals.

Shailesh Vara: The provision of this information is a matter for the judiciary. As the hon. Member is aware, however, they have agreed to provide the DWP and the appellant with summary reasons for their decisions in employment and support allowance appeals. This approach was successfully piloted at four tribunal venues from June 2013 and will be rolled out this year.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many EU directives his Department has transposed into UK law since 2010; and how many directly acting EU regulations have come into effect in his Department's area of responsibility in the same period.

Shailesh Vara: Since 2010 my Department has transposed three EU directives fully into UK law, and partially transposed one further directive.
	In the same period, two EU regulations with application to the UK (either where the UK has exercised its Title V Justice and Home Affairs opt-in, or where no opt-in exists) have come into force and applied. Two further regulations in this Department's area of responsibility in which the UK will participate have come into force, but do not yet apply.

HMP Chelmsford

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cells there are at HMP Chelmsford; and how many of those are safe cells.

Jeremy Wright: So called “safer cells” are those which have additional features to reduce the risk of suicide or self-harm. While HMP Chelmsford does not have a designated “safer cell”, it does have two gated cells which allow for constant observation of prisoners who may be at risk of self-harm.

Prisoners

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of those (a) convicted and (b) on remand in English prisons was in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin published on 30 January 2014 provides details of recent trends in the prison population. The bulletin can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276074/omsq-q3-2013.pdf
	The ‘Story of the Prison Population 1993 to 2012’ is an in-depth look at the prison population over this period and the major factors contributing to the changes. It can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218185/story-prison-population.pdf
	Since 2010, those who break the law are now more likely to go to prison, and they go to prison for longer.

Prisoners' Release

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners diagnosed with a terminal illness were granted (a) release on temporary licence and (b) compassionate release in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many older prisoners were granted (a) release on temporary licence and (b) compassionate release in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what guidance is provided to older prisoners seeking compassionate leave.

Jeremy Wright: Guidance to prison governors on temporary release is contained in Prison Service Order (PSO) 6300, which is publicly available. In addition, prisons are required to produce a leaflet for prisoners explaining how and when they may apply for temporary release and how their suitability for release will be considered. Guidance on early release on compassionate grounds is contained in PSO 6000 (for determinate prisoners) and PSO 4700 (for indeterminate prisoners), each of which is available to prisoners.
	Old age, of itself, is insufficient grounds to justify the release of a prisoner. Prisoners may be considered for early or temporary release where there are sufficiently compelling, compassionate reasons and the release does not put the public at risk. This will include cases where the prisoner requires medical care or treatment that cannot be provided while they remain in prison, but which can safely be provided outside the prison setting. No release may take place without a satisfactory risk assessment and release will always be conditional, with the prisoner liable to be recalled to prison if necessary.
	Temporary release can be a valuable tool to help with rehabilitation and deal with compelling, compassionate circumstances, but it must never be authorised at the expense of public protection. We commissioned reviews of temporary release policy and practice last summer and will be taking steps to ensure that the public is properly protected when offenders are released.
	The following table gives the total number of releases on temporary licence (ROTL) in the past two years for prisoners aged 60 or over at the time of release (data on ROTL for 2009 and 2010 are not available and 2013 data will be available later this year.).
	
		
			  2011 2012 
			 Number of ROTL releases granted to prisoners aged 60 or over 14,471 17,441 
		
	
	There were over 400,000 releases in total in each of 2011 and 2012. It should be noted that these figures and those in the table above give the number of releases rather than the number of prisoners released and that one prisoner may be released on many occasions. They also relate to temporary releases for any reason; i.e. including resettlement release as well as release for a special purpose, which might include medical treatment in the community. The medical condition of those prisoners who were granted temporary release is not routinely recorded so we cannot say how many prisoners granted temporary release were diagnosed with a terminal illness at the time of release.
	The following table gives the number of early compassionate releases of prisoners in the last five years for which data is available, broken down by the age of those released at time of release (records show whether an early release was on medical or other compassionate grounds but do not show the nature of any illness at the time of release).
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Under 60 6 6 6 8 5 
			 60 or over 4 5 2 1 2 
			 Total 10 11 8 9 7

Prisoners: Women

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many women serving a custodial sentence in prison in England and Wales had a miscarriage in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013;
	(2)  how many women serving a custodial sentence in prison in England and Wales gave birth in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013;
	(3)  how many women served a custodial sentence while pregnant in England and Wales in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

Simon Hughes: The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained from individual prison establishments only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Private Sector

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much privately run prisons contribute to the costs of call-outs of the (a) National Tactical Response Group, (b) police and (c) ambulances.

Jeremy Wright: The National Tactical Response Group is part of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). It is a specialist team whose role is to assist public- and private-sector establishments in safely managing and resolving serious incidents in prisons. The total cost of call-outs by the National Tactical Response Group is not available, nor is breakdown of the cost of call-outs to private- and public-sector prisons.
	Neither the Home Office nor the Department of Health collects information covering any charges to privately-operated prisons in relation to. police and ambulance call-outs. These data could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Probation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it will be a requirement in the tendering process for probation work that contractors must demonstrate how partnership working will exist under the new arrangements.

Jeremy Wright: Responding to local needs and building local partnership working are central to the aims of the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme.
	Organisations bidding to run one of the new community rehabilitation companies will need to clearly demonstrate how they will engage with statutory and non-statutory partners in order to deliver offender services. Once contracts are awarded, NOMS will monitor local partnership working as part of its role in contract managing the delivery of services. In addition, contracts will be designed to respond to changing demands and priorities at local and national levels, taking on board input from PCCs and other local partners as necessary.
	We have established local competition teams who have been engaging with local partners during the competition process and set up three reference groups, two for PCCs and local authorities and one focused on integrated offender management to help inform our reforms at a national and local level. We have also set up a competition data room which will allow bidders to access information on existing partnerships and those working with offenders in each contract package area.

Probation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish his risk assessment of the probation change proposals and its effect on partnership work and impact on service delivery.

Jeremy Wright: Responding to local needs and building partnership working are central to the aims of the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme. Organisations bidding to run one of the new community rehabilitation companies will need to clearly demonstrate how they will engage with statutory and non-statutory partners in order to deliver offender services.
	There are no plans to publish the programme's risk register. We have always been clear that we will seek to protect a safe space for free and frank discussions between Ministers and civil servants. It is firmly in the public interest that advice to Ministers is not inhibited or watered down because of concerns it may be made public.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of his Department's contracts have been let to companies with (a) one to five, (b) six to 49, (c) 50 to 250 and (d) more than 250 staff.

Jeremy Wright: The information you have requested is not centrally held and we would incur disproportionate costs to gather.
	However, I am able to tell you that in the 2012-13 financial year, 34.81% of total procurement spend was spent with Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Procurement

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of a possible in-house bid for shared services contracts within his Department.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice is currently considering options for the future delivery of its back office admin services. All options are being evaluated to ensure they provide value for money for taxpayers and continue to meet the needs of customers.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Shailesh Vara: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer provided by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Public Defender Service

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Queen's Counsel were employed by the Public Defender Service in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011, (d) 2012, (e) 2013 and (f) 2014.

Shailesh Vara: Prior to 2014, the PDS did not employ Queen's Counsel. It is the LAA's priority to ensure that clients can access legal advice. In 2014 we have employed two Queen's Counsel, with another due to begin employment in late February.

Taxation: Appeals

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many (a) first-tier and (b) upper-tier tax tribunal judges there were in each year since 2010;
	(2)  for how many days (a) first-tier and (b) upper-tier tax tribunal panel members sat in each year since 2010;
	(3)  how many (a) first-tier and (b) upper-tier tax tribunal expert panel members there were in each year since 2010;
	(4)  how much was paid to tax tribunal panel members in each year since 2010.

Shailesh Vara: The information is as follows:
	PQs 184740 and 184742
	HM Courts & Tribunals Service first published statistical data on the number of tribunal judges and members in 2012. These statistics can be found at:
	http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications-and-reports/statistics/diversity-stats-and-gen-overview
	The number of tribunal judges and members in the first-tier and upper tribunal in 2012 and 2013 is provided in the following table. The figures are taken from the judicial database and are based upon an individual’s primary appointment, which is where they sit for the majority of their time.
	
		
			  April 2012 April 2013 
			 First-tier Tribunal Tax Chamber 128 152 
			 Upper Tribunal Tax and Chancery Chamber 19 14 
		
	
	PQ 184741
	The following table shows the number of days panel members sat in the first-tier tribunal tax chamber by financial year. Members do not sit on tax cases in the upper tribunal.
	
		
			  Number of members sitting days 
			 2010-11 1,232.5 
			 2011-12 1,073 
			 2012-13 1,181 
			 These figures are from internal management information and as such have not been quality checked to the same level as official statistics 
		
	
	PQ 184745
	The following table provides a breakdown of the total judicial fee costs attributed to all fee-paid judicial office holders, which includes lay members, for the years requested. The table also includes details of all judicial expenses for the same periods but these figures include expenses paid to salaried judges as well as all fee-paid office holders.
	
		
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Judicial expenditure for all fee-paid judicial office holders 1,558,606 1,907,312 1,824,821 
			 Judicial expenses (includes salaried judiciary) 135,715 137,665 155,476

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice is reviewing its use of telephone number prefixes with reference to the ‘HMG Guidance for Customer Service Lines’ published on 26 December 2013, prioritising those service lines serving vulnerable or low income groups. It is intended to complete this review by March 2014.
	As stated in previous answers to parliamentary questions, the Department's approach is not to use 084 or 087 for non-geographic numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone—see:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130423/text/130423w0004.htm#130423w0004. htm_wqn27
	and
	http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?ids2013-11-20a. 175002.h&s=Vaz+0845#g175002.q0
	The Department currently uses 41 0300 numbers, and is in the process of changing more 0845 numbers to 0300; this includes use of a dual numbering system with 03 as the primary number, as described in the guidance.
	The Ministry of Justice uses a total of 35 0844 and 0845 numbers, compared to 77 08 numbers stated in the answer to a parliamentary question asked in December 2009—see:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm091214/text/91214w0037.htm#09121438001670

Thameside Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the length is of the contract agreed with Serco for HM Prison Thameside on 20 December 2013; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the contract to the public purse over the lifetime of the contract.

Jeremy Wright: Serco were selected as the preferred bidder for the contract to run HMP Thameside in June 2009. The contract for the PFI prison was signed on 30 June 2010. The contract was amended on 18 December 2013 to deliver additional prisoner places. The contract duration is 26½ years from 30 June 2010. The original contract value was £417 million. The estimated additional cost for the additional places over the remaining life of the contract is £120 million.

Thameside Prison

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff on each grade have (a) been recruited to work in HM Prison Thameside and (b) left in each year since that prison opened.

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost. At HMP Thameside, staff are employed by a number of providers to deliver a range of services including, for example, probation services, education and health care, as well as custodial services.

Written Questions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to his answer of 27 January 2014, Official Report, column 386W, on written questions, whether the wide range of issues that special advisers advise Ministers on include the answers to parliamentary questions.

Shailesh Vara: Special advisers are employed to provide advice and assistance to Ministers across a wide range of areas, as required and in line with the Code of conduct for Special Advisers.

Young Offenders

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure that young offenders leave custody better equipped to avoid a life of crime.

Jeremy Wright: The Government will introduce a new pathfinder secure college in 2017, which will equip young offenders with the skills and qualifications they need to pursue a life free from crime. We are also enhancing education provision in young offender institutions and taking steps to improve the resettlement of young people leaving custody.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Chelmsford constituency are enrolled in adult skills sessions.

Matthew Hancock: Final data for the 2012/13 academic year show that there were 4,190 adult (19+) learners participating in further education and skills in Chelmsford parliamentary constituency.

Apprentices

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools of 7 January 2014, Official Report, House of Lords, column 1473, on Report Stage of the Children and Families Bill, what funds have been allocated by his Department to assist training providers and award organisations to ensure that apprentices who have previously failed key skills due to a lack of support are able to sit a new functional skills test; and when such apprentices can expect to be able to site a new functional skills test.

Matthew Hancock: holding answer 4 February 2014
	The Skills Funding Agency provides funding to enable all apprentices to achieve the level of English and maths to meet the requirements of their apprenticeship framework. Therefore, any apprentice who previously failed their key skills would be eligible to be funded for functional skills in order that they achieve their apprenticeship framework. Providers are able to use their existing allocations to fund these qualifications, and should speak to the awarding organisation offering the qualification to see when the next assessment window is for their apprentice to take the relevant test.
	The Agency provides additional funding to support those apprentices that require additional support to achieve their functional skills or apprenticeship framework because of learning difficulties or disabilities.

Apprentices: Barrow in Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many apprenticeships were started in the Barrow and Furness constituency in each industrial sector in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many new apprenticeships were started in Barrow and Furness constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will publish such figures with reference to apprentices' (a) age and (b) gender.

Matthew Hancock: Apprenticeship data are not available by industrial sector. Within an industry, a learner may undertake a wide range of apprenticeship frameworks.
	Apprenticeship starts by geography (including parliamentary constituency) and age are published in a supplementary table to the SFR:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3D49B725-2FD2-451E-9A5E-116D788E43F4/0/Nov2013_ApprenticeshipStartsbyGeographyLevelAge.xls
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship starts by gender in Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency, 2008-09 to 2012-13 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Female 350 410 770 750 740 
			 Male 380 370 470 500 510 
			 Total 720 780 1,230 1,250 1,250 
			 Notes: 1. Geography information is based on the learners' home postcode. 2. Figures for 2011-12 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years due to the introduction of the Single ILR: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/C05DCDD5-67EE-4AD0-88B9-BEBC8F7F3300/0/SILR_Effects_SFR_Learners_June12.pdf Source: Individualised Learner Record.

Business: Females

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many women's business centres are still operational; and how such centres can be contacted.

Matthew Hancock: We recognise the importance of encouraging female entrepreneurship and welcome initiatives like women's business centres and the role they can play in providing advice and support to women. These centres are operated by the private sector and we do not hold details of the numbers of centres in operation or contact details.

Business: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support the Government is giving to business growth opportunities in Greater London.

Michael Fallon: The last spending round in summer 2013 further underlined Government's ongoing commitment to devolve economic powers to local areas. It recognises the role Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have to play in promoting local growth, by giving LEPs control of at least £2 billion a year through the Local Growth Fund (LGF) for the life of the next Parliament, and over £5 billion of European Structural and Investment Funds to allocate for the period 2014-20. The Government's local growth policies aim to help all parts of the country achieve their economic potential.
	It is for the Mayor, advised by the London Enterprise Panel, to determine priorities for economic development in the capital and to use the resources available to the GLA, the LEP and its partners to support business growth in Greater London.
	At a national level, Government has made changes to regulations to make it as easy as possible for businesses to start and grow. These changes ensure business support is simpler, more joined up and easier to access.
	The Government is working with SMEs and helping them in a number of ways, including enabling better access to both debt and equity finance; reducing red tape; enabling SMEs more easily to access public procurement opportunities; and making sure that the support we provide SMEs is delivered in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Business: Higher Education

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons those universities not based in the eight core city local enterprise partnerships areas are ineligible to apply for a university enterprise zone.

David Willetts: The Government has made available a fund of £15 million over three years, so we will be able to fund only three to four projects. The core cities are the focus for this pilot because of their particular role in driving local and national economic growth. In addition, this approach means that we are limiting the number of deadlines for most local enterprise partnerships at a crucial time in the development of their strategic economic plans.

Business: Higher Education

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to allow all universities to apply for a university enterprise zone.

David Willetts: University enterprise zones are a new policy initiative, which the Government is piloting before a possible wider roll-out. The pilot will be evaluated to inform decisions on expanding the scheme.

Economic Growth

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that regions of the UK other than Greater London benefit from economic recovery and new business growth.

Michael Fallon: The Government's local growth policies aim to help all parts of the country achieve their economic potential. Government has made a clear and consistent commitment to decentralisation. This means empowering people who are best placed to act in the interests of local areas.
	The last spending round in summer 2013 further underlined Government's ongoing commitment to devolve economic powers to local areas. In England, it recognises the role local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have to play in promoting local growth, by giving LEPs, through Local Growth Deals, control of at least £2 billion a year through the Local Growth Fund (LGF) for the life of the next Parliament, and over £5 billion of European Structural and Investment Funds to allocate for the period 2014-20.
	The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is a key part of the Government's strategy to drive up growth across England. The RGF is a £3.2 billion fund, with £2.6 billion committed in rounds 1 to 4, £300 million in round 5 and at least a further £200 million to be made available in round 6.
	The objectives of RGF are to create economic growth by levering private sector investment and creating sustainable private sector employment; and to rebalance the economy by helping those areas and that are currently dependent on the public sector.
	Additionally, the UK's industrial strategy is a long-term, whole-of-government approach to support economic growth across the UK. Government is working in partnership with business to create more opportunities, deliver more jobs and make the UK more competitive. Some assistance such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee is available in all parts of the UK, though business support is a devolved matter. In relation to Northern Ireland, the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive agreed an economic pact in June 2013. This included a commitment to take forward a package of measures to help build a stronger economy and secure a shared future for all its people.

Electrical Safety

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many injuries have been caused by electrical products either (a) then subject to or (b) subsequently subject to a product recall action in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many dwelling fires have been caused by electrical products either (a) then subject to or (b) subsequently subject to a product recall action in each of the last five years.

Michael Fallon: The information requested is not available. However any such incidents would be expected to be reported to the manufacturer of the product, either directly or via the supply chain. The person with responsibility for the product on becoming aware that they have placed an unsafe product on the market is required to inform their local authority trading standards service. Those with the responsibility for placing products on the market are required to have reasonable processes in place to ensure that they become aware should they have placed an unsafe product on the market. Local authority trading standards services have the responsibility for the enforcement of the relevant product safety legislation.

Energy: Industry

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the refusal of state aid approval for compensation for the carbon floor price on energy intensive industries; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what contingency plans the Government has to ensure the competitiveness of UK-based energy-intensive industries in the event of the European Commission not giving state aid approval to compensation for the carbon floor price; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: I recognise the impact of the carbon price floor on the competitiveness of energy intensive industries which is why we are putting in place a compensation scheme. We have had ongoing discussions with the European Commission and I am optimistic of a positive resolution shortly.

Environment Protection

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to improve the level of resources invested in green technology in the UK relative to international comparators.

Michael Fallon: Investing in green technologies is important to future growth. BIS is supporting this in a number of ways:
	The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) invested over £120 million in the last year in green technology related activities. This was through various support mechanisms such as collaborative research and development, pre-competitive procurement contracts (the Small Business Research Initiative programme) and Smart awards for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Allowing for industry match funding, this represents over £200 million spend on green innovation activities for UK businesses.
	Other activities include entrepreneurial missions such as the Clean and Cool mission to Brazil, enabling UK SMEs to take advantage of the opportunities in the sustainability sector, and also the Clean and Cool mission to Colorado looking at clean energy. In 2012-13 the Technology Strategy Board rolled out the Sustainable Economy Framework, which, together with the Forum for the Future, is used to incorporate sustainability/green innovation into the Technology Strategy Board's strategies and support programmes for business.
	In addition to this, the Technology Strategy Board's network of Catapults plays a strong role in green technology activities. The seven Catapults are centres of excellence which focus on a specific area of technology and expertise with great potential, that aim to bridge the gap between business, academia, research and Government. Of the seven, six of the centres have an element of green technology within them. These are: High Value Manufacturing, Offshore Renewable Energy, Satellite Applications, Connected Digital Economy, Future Cities, and Transport Systems. The Future Cities Catapult has dedicated work programmes on Resource Efficiency, Low Carbon Cities and Resilient Energy systems.
	The Energy Technology Institute (ETI) is a novel partnership established by BIS with leading international engineering and energy companies to invest in the development of low carbon energy technologies and solutions.
	The ETI brings together projects and partnerships that create affordable, reliable, clean energy for heat, power, transport and associated infrastructure. It is a 50:50 public-private partnership to which BIS has committed to provide up to £500 million, to be matched by industry partners, over the decade to December 2017. (BIS funds are provided through TSB and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).
	The Green Investment Bank, with £3.8 billion of Government funding to March 2016, is now fully operational and investing on commercial terms in green infrastructure projects, helping to mobilise significant additional private capital into relevant green sectors.

Environment Protection

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has adopted targets relating to international benchmarks for the national level of investment in green technology.

Michael Fallon: No.

Foreign Companies: China

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many companies operating in the UK are (a) fully and (b) partly owned by Chinese companies.

Michael Fallon: As Companies House does not maintain statistics on Company ownership it is unable to tell how many companies operating in the UK are (a) fully owned and (b) partly owned by Chinese companies.

Further Education: Older People

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to increase the participation of older people in further education.

Matthew Hancock: Apprenticeships are an all age programme. Outside of apprenticeships, we want to maintain access to learning for older people and to support this we have introduced Advanced Learning Loans for those aged 24 and above studying at level 3 and 4, to help meet up-front course fees and remove one of the main barriers to learning for older people. Community Learning is also an important part of the wider learning and skills offer, engaging people who are most disadvantaged and furthest from learning such as older people. It is funded through an annual budget of £210 million managed by the Skills Funding Agency and most provision is delivered or commissioned by local authority providers, FE colleges, large voluntary organisations and other providers. As part of our plans for local growth, all 39 local enterprise partnerships are currently considering how to drive growth in their local areas as they put together their strategic economic plans, which are due to be submitted to Government at the end of March. Some LEPs have already highlighted the challenges of an aging work force and the need to provide opportunities for people to update their skills as business needs and technology changes so we expect to see proposals to ensure a match between the skills of the local work force and the needs of business. We are also starting to set up elite training institutions, the first being an £18 million complex for engineers in Coventry, which will enable a wide range of learners to be up-skilled.

Industrial Disputes Independent Review

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2013, Official Report, columns 1067-8W, on industrial disputes: independent review, what decisions have been taken on the review chaired by Bruce Carr QC in respect of (a) its terms of reference, (b) its membership, (c) when its work will start and finish and (d) whether a final report of its findings will be produced.

Jennifer Willott: Discussions are still ongoing and the full details of the review will be announced in due course. The intention is to have a balanced review involving employers and employee representatives.

Land Registry

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to prevent reforms of HM Land Registry leading to the off-shoring of jobs.

Michael Fallon: Land Registry has developed a business strategy for 2013 to 2018 to improve the delivery of land registration services to support economic growth in the wider economy. The purpose of the proposal set out in the recent BIS consultation document is to enable the business to better deliver this business strategy. No decisions will be taken on the best commercial model until the consultation is completed and responses have been considered.

Literacy: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of adults in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) Merseyside who are unable to (i) read and (ii) write.

Matthew Hancock: The 2011 Skills for Life survey Small Area modelled estimates1 provide the following information about proportions of adults aged 16 to 65-years-old with above and below the 'functional literacy' threshold (ie National Qualification Framework Level 1), defined in the Leitch review as
	‘the level needed to get by in life and work’.2
	Level 1 is equivalent to GCSE grades D-G. Adults with skills below Level 1 can read or write, but their skills may be limited, for example, they may not be able to read bus or train timetables.
	Data are available for 2011 parliamentary constituencies, including Liverpool Riverside, Liverpool Walton, Liverpool Wavertree and Liverpool, West Derby. Table 1 as follows provides the estimated proportions of people in these constituencies with below Level 1 literacy. The data do not separate reading and writing.
	1 Available online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/2011-skills-for-life-survey-small-area-estimation-data
	accessed on 6 February 2014.
	2 HM Treasury (December 2006) “Leitch Review of Skills. Prosperity for all in the global economy-world class skills. Final Report”, p. 43.
	
		
			 Table 1: Mean estimates of people in 2011 Liverpool constituencies with below Level 1 literacy 
			 2011 parliamentary constituency name Proportion of people with below Level 1 literacy (percentage) 
			 Liverpool, Riverside 21.6 
			 Liverpool, Walton 23.3 
			 Liverpool, Wavertree 17.9 
			 Liverpool, West Derby 21.7 
			 Source: 2011 Skills for Life survey small area estimates.

Post Offices: ICT

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to allow sub post offices to trial new technologies such as scanning of ID pictures and other procedures in order to supply front office counter services to boost future footfall and business to benefit all of the Post Office network.

Jennifer Willott: The development of new technologies is a matter for Post Office Ltd and reflects its commercial contractual arrangements with its public and private sector partners. The Government, as shareholder, does not play a role in commercial matters.

Property: Management

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what responsibilities he has for regulation of residential and property management agents in Wales.

Jennifer Willott: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has no responsibility for the regulation of property management agents in Wales as housing is a devolved issue.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Jennifer Willott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Royal Mail

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what timetable or deadline he has for the completion of the sale of illiquid assets acquired following the transfer of the Royal Mail pension fund.

Michael Fallon: There is no fixed timetable or deadline for the disposal of assets transferred from the Royal Mail pension plan to the BIS Postal Services Act Company 2011 Limited (‘the Company’), a company incorporated by the Department in order to hold and realise those assets. The principal objective of the company is to realise the assets in a measured fashion, protecting value for the taxpayer, while minimising market distortion. Accordingly, it may be appropriate for the company to hold less liquid assets for the longer term and potentially to maturity where this protects value for the taxpayer. Regular reviews are undertaken of the realisation strategy for each asset class.

Students: Finance

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what procedure and checks his Department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) use to monitor the advice given to students by alternative providers as to which of their courses have been designated for SLC funding;
	(2)  what procedures and checks (a) his Department and (b) the Student Loans Company (SLC) use to monitor the applications from the students of alternative providers for SLC funding for designated courses;
	(3)  what procedures and checks (a) his Department and (b) the Student Loans Company (SLC) use to monitor the claims of alternative providers for SLC funding for designated courses;
	(4)  what investigations relating to student support claims and Student Loans Company funding have taken place or are currently under way in respect of alternative providers.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company's (SLC) undertakes the administration and processing of the payment of loans and grants to students, and the payment of tuition fees to higher education institutions.
	The SLC maintains a database of all courses designated by the Department and the locations where these courses are provided. Student support is paid to students and providers only in relation to designated courses recorded on this database.
	If applications are received for student support in relation to courses which are not designated, the applications will not be approved and no payments will be made to either the student or the provider.
	It is not the Department's or SLC's role to monitor the advice providers give students on designated courses, as this can be delivered in many ways, including face-to-face, and will vary by course at each provider. The SLC however publishes on its website a full list of designated courses at alternative providers and their locations. There should be no confusion about which courses and locations are designated for support and which are not.
	The processes outlined ensure that students' applications will not be approved in relation to such courses.
	If it comes to light that providers have misled students, the SLC or the Department, in an attempt to access student support payments in relation to undesignated courses, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has the power to refuse or revoke designation of any course offered by that provider.
	This sanction has been imposed once so far during the current academic year.

Trade Promotion: United Arab Emirates

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of UK Trade and Investment’s ability to assist firms wishing to take part in World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(2)  what technical assistance will be available to businesses wanting to take advantage of the opportunities in World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to UK businesses of securing contracts from World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with UK Trade and Investment on how small businesses can secure contracts for World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(5)  what plans he has to support the participation by UK construction companies in World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(6)  what support UK Trade & Investment is giving to UK companies seeking to participate in World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(7)  if he will offer the UK's support to the government of the UAE in its preparations for World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(8)  if he will form a cross-departmental working group to co-ordinate the UK's participation in World Expo 2020 in Dubai;
	(9)  what support UK Trade & Investment will give to companies based in Shrewsbury which wish to bid for contracts relating to World Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Michael Fallon: The Government was pleased to support Dubai's bid to host the World Expo in 2020. We shall ensure that we share with the Government of the UAE our businesses' experience of delivering an excellent Olympics in 2012. In preparing our approach to Dubai 2020 more broadly, we shall also measure the successes and lessons learned from our experience of the Milan 2015 Expo. In the meantime, UK Trade and Investment will continue to support companies from across the UK, including of course from Shrewsbury, who wish to secure World Expo 2020 contracts.

Unemployed People: Basic Skills

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on basic skills training for people in receipt of jobseekers' allowance in each year from 2008 to 2013;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on boosting the literacy and numeracy of people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Matthew Hancock: holding answer 28 January 2014
	It is not possible to provide a robust response based on self reporting data from the Individualised Learner Return (ILR) alone but we are able to estimate the amount spent on adult literacy and numeracy services for learners benefiting from support for the unemployed for 2011/12 using published matched further education for benefit claimant data
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FDBA150E-3C26-4CA3-B586-766A460FABFB/0/FurtherEducationfor BenefitClaimants_20June2013_revised.pdf
	The following table provides 2011/12 estimates derived by combining matched benefits data with the average fee spent per self reporting ILR learner in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance and studying English and maths. We are also able to estimate the total for all job related benefits.
	
		
			 Spend on literacy and numeracy for benefit claimants, 2011/12 
			  Spend (£million) 
			 JSA/ESA (WRAG) 89 
			 All job related benefits (incl JSA) 138 
		
	
	
		
			 All adult skills budget 318 
			 Notes: Figures do not include English for speakers of other languages and include English training as part of an apprenticeship. These data do not include English training undertaken as part of the Employer Ownership Pilot. 3. The spend is estimated based on a combination of matched data from the Individualised Learner Record and the Department for Work and Pensions and Skills Funding Agency data.

Vocational Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of how much funding employers provided to fund non-statutory training of their staff in each of the last five years.

Matthew Hancock: The information requested is not available.

Vocational Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much finding (a) his Department and (b) the Skills Funding Agency has provided to (i) McDonalds, (ii) Morrisons, (iii) Tesco and (iv) Sainsbury's to provide training or apprenticeships for their staff in each of the last five years.

Matthew Hancock: McDonalds has received a total of £24.2 million since 2010/11; of which £10.5 million was in 2010/11, £6.8 million was in 2011/12; £5.1 million was in 2012/13 and £1.8 million has been paid to date in 2013/14.
	Sainsbury's has received a total of £2.5 million since 2010/11; of which £1.9 million was in 2010/11 and £0.6 million was in 2011/12.
	Tesco has received a total of £8.8 million since 2010/11; of which £1.4 million was in 2010/11, £2.5 million was in 2011/12, £3.3 million was in 2012/13, and £1.7 million has been paid to date in 2013/14.
	Notes:
	1. The data are only available since the creation of the Skills Funding Agency on 1 April 2010.
	2. The data are the actual payments made to McDonalds, Sainsbury's and Tescos. Values are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million so individual values may differ from totals.
	3. Payments for the current (2013/14) contracting year are for activity up until the end of December.
	4. We are unable to give the amounts for Morrisons because they did not have a direct contract with the Agency. The Agency contracted with Elmfield Training (now In Training Ltd, part of the Newcastle College Group) who provided training for Morrisons and other employers.
	5. Payments include values for the Large Employer Outcome Pilot, which was announced in the Skills Investment Statement 2011-14. It piloted an outcome-based payment system.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bangladesh

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce political corruption in Bangladesh.

Hugh Robertson: The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, said in her statement on 6 January 2014, following Bangladesh's elections, we would continue to support its people in their aspirations for a more stable, prosperous, and democratic future. To achieve this, Bangladesh needs strong, independent and accountable institutions.
	We give a high priority to anti-corruption work in Bangladesh. Political corruption is closely interlinked with other forms of corruption in Bangladesh. UK Aid supports work to make the Government's financial management more transparent, including support for budgeting, accounting, auditing and parliamentary scrutiny. UK aid also supports organisations outside Government to enable citizens and communities to hold service providers to account, obtain services and assets that are theirs by right, and reduce the need to pay bribes. For example, we support initiatives that increase transparency in political finance such as online publication of candidate asset information by the Election Commission of Bangladesh, while also training civil society and media to analyse and publicly report on those returns.

Bangladesh

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet his Bangladeshi counterpart to discuss the reduction of violence in that country and to promote trade links with the UK.

Hugh Robertson: We deplored the acts of violence and intimidation in the run up to Bangladesh's 10th parliamentary elections on 5 January. It is tragic that so many people lost their lives. We repeatedly condemned all forms of violence, including in the statement made by the Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, on 6 January. The new government has not appointed a new Foreign Minister but when it does we will continue to raise matters of concern and promote strong UK-Bangladesh trade links.
	Trade between our countries is buoyant. There has been strong growth (over 119%) in bilateral trade—both goods and services—between 2007 and 2012. Figures for 2012 show that our exports to Bangladesh increased by 16% compared to the previous year, mainly due to a 41% increase in services. Imports increased by almost 13% over the same period.

British Nationals Abroad

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals live in other EU member states (a) in total and (b) by member state.

Mark Simmonds: The most recent figures we have are taken from a 2010 report which was commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Consular Directorate. These figures are only estimates of the number of United Kingdom citizens living abroad (including for part of a year).
	The total number of UK citizens living abroad in EU member states in 2010 (estimate): 2,197,800.
	Croatia joined the EU in 2013. The total number of UK citizens living in Croatia in 2010 (estimate): 900.
	The number of UK citizens living abroad in each EU member state in 2010 (estimate):
	Austria: 7,000
	Belgium: 31,000
	Bulgaria: 18,000
	Cyprus: 65,000
	Czech Republic: 7,000
	Denmark: 12,000
	Estonia: 700
	Finland: 4,000
	France: 330,000
	Germany: 107,000
	Greece: 45,000
	Hungary: 5,000
	Ireland: 329,000
	Italy: 37,000
	Latvia: 400
	Lithuania: 300
	Luxembourg: 8,000
	Malta: 11,000
	Netherlands: 48,000
	Poland: 6,000
	Portugal: 39,000
	Romania: 7,000
	Slovakia: 1,000
	Slovenia: 4,000
	Spain: 1,050,000
	Sweden: 29,000.

British Nationals Abroad

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals live in (a) China, (b) South Korea, (c) Japan and (d) Singapore.

Mark Simmonds: The most recent figures we have are taken from a 2010 report which was commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Consular Directorate.
	These figures are only estimates of the number of United Kingdom citizens living abroad (including for part of a year):
	China: 47,000
	South Korea: 4,000
	Japan: 22,000
	Singapore: 60,000.

Central African Republic

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of unrest in the Central African Republic on neighbouring countries.

Mark Simmonds: The unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR) has impacted on its neighbours through refugee flows and cross-border violence. The UK welcomes the efforts of the African-led International Support Mission to CAR (MISCA) to stabilise the situation. The return of a constitutional and effective government is vital for the long-term stability of CAR and is in the best interests of the region as a whole. The UK has already contributed £15 million to humanitarian efforts in-country, and we continue to support international organisations such as the WFP and UNHCR who are assisting refugees in the region.

Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has provided to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories to implement the Financial Action Task Force Standards.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The UK's G8 action plan to prevent misuse of companies and legal arrangements is intended to implement the Financial Action Task Force Standards to the highest degree. As part of this, the Government has committed to conducting its first National Risk Assessment (NRA) by 2014, as well as to support the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to publish action plans setting out the concrete steps, where needed, to fully implement the Financial Action Task Force Standards. They have published these action plans, and have committed to carry out their NRAs. These will assess risks, apply resources and mitigate those risks, as required by the Standards. The Government will engage closely with them to share lessons learned and best practice, The Government has also provided funding to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force towards events providing NRA training by the World Bank to its members, which include the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands and Montserrat.

Cyprus

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolution on the return of the Cypriot city of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants under UN administration.

David Lidington: The UK continues to work with the Cypriots in their pursuit of a comprehensive settlement, including the issue of the Varosha area of Famagusta. We fully support all the relevant Security Council resolutions, including UNSCR 550 and UNSCR 789 which address the future of Varosha. We have raised this complex matter with the Turkish Cypriots and with the Turkish authorities.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that appropriate numbers of international observers will be available at future elections in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mark Simmonds: There is currently no confirmed timetable for provincial and local elections in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We have encouraged the DRC Government to draw up a clear electoral timetable from now to 2016, when presidential elections are due. We will continue to work closely with the DRC Government, the UN and international partners as this plan develops, including on the subject of international observers for the elections.

Immunity from Prosecution: Foreign Nationals

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the requirements are for special mission immunity to be given.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 4 March 2013, Official Report, columns 55-56, announced a new process by which we would be informed of visits that may qualify for special mission status. Under customary international law a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a state, which is sent by one state to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official business. In this context, "official business" will normally involve contacts with authorities of the United Kingdom, such as meeting officials of Her Majesty's Government, or attendance at a ceremonial occasion, for example a royal wedding.

Iran

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent UN-level discussions he has had on human rights violations in Iran; and what steps he is taking against those responsible for such abuses.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised Iran's poor human rights record with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in the margins of UN General Assembly on 23 September 2013. The UK lobbied extensively for the UN resolution on human rights in Iran that was adopted on 19 December 2013 and regularly speaks out about human rights abuses in Iran. We have also been instrumental in the EU's designation of 86 Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations.

Iran

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure continued enforcement of economic sanctions against Iran during the six months interim agreement period in respect of that country's nuclear programme.

Hugh Robertson: The interim agreement provides for limited, specific sanctions relief proportionate with Iran's undertakings on its nuclear programme. The bulk of EU (and US) sanctions remain in place and will continue to be enforced, including through revised designations where required. EU Regulation 267/2012 and its amendments set out the relevant obligations of member states for the implementation of sanctions. The UK will continue to work with our European partners to fulfil these obligations, including through investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of sanctions breaches.

Iran

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Israel and (b) the Gulf States on Iran's nuclear programme.

Hugh Robertson: Ministers and FCO officials regularly engage their Gulf and Israeli counterparts on Iran. Our priority remains a comprehensive, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, which would be a significant contribution to peace and security in the Middle East.

Nigeria

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with its Nigerian counterpart on improvements aimed at increasing transparency and visibility in the oil and gas sector.

Mark Simmonds: We have lobbied on increased transparency in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, most recently at a meeting between the high commissioner and Nigerian Minister for Petroleum Resources on 20 December 2013.
	Our recent efforts have concentrated on the Petroleum Industry Bill which is currently being considered by the National Assembly. We believe comprehensive legislation could lead both to increased investment and increased transparency over oil receipts and contracts. We also raised the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and transparency more generally during our G8 presidency.

Pay

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department are paid the living wage or above.

Hugh Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 628W.

Pitcairn Islands

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 63W, on Pitcairn Islands, if he will place in the Library a copy of the third Pitcairn Child Safety Review.

Mark Simmonds: The full report of the Pitcairn Child Safety Review 2013 cannot be laid due to the personal data contained within. However, I am happy to lay the summary report before the House.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Hugh Robertson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Zimbabwe

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of financial sanctions on members of the Government of Zimbabwe and associated individuals.

Mark Simmonds: Although some have argued that EU financial sanctions—more properly known as restrictive measures—have served as anti-western propaganda for the ZANU-PF party, we believe that asset freezes, as part of the EU's targeted measures, have been an important tool in promoting democracy and reform in Zimbabwe. Reforms, such as the new constitution agreed in 2013, under the Government of National Unity and Global Political Agreement, highlight some of the progress made. However, we continue to have concerns over the democratic environment in Zimbabwe, we have consistently made clear our views about the conduct of 2013 elections, which we do not judge to have been free, fair or credible, nor to have met SADC's own guidelines. The EU is currently completing the review of Zimbabwe's targeted measures and parliamentary scrutiny has been completed.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Crisis Loans

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received crisis loans in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010, (d) 2011, (e) 2012 and (f) 2013.

Steve Webb: Table 1 gives the number of people who received Crisis Loans between 2008 and 2012. The figures are presented by calendar year.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of people who received Crisis Loans between 2008 and 2012 
			 Calendar year Number 
			 2008 817,800 
			 2009 1,070,100 
			 2010 1,142,400 
			 2011 1,021,600 
			 2012 936,000 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics. 2. The volume of applications and awards for Crisis Loans increased following the introduction of telephone applications in 2007-08. In April 2011, the number of awards for Crisis Loans for general living expenses an individual could receive was limited to three in a rolling 12-month period, causing volumes to fall. 3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	The Crisis Loan scheme ended on 31 March 2013. 326,000 people received a Crisis Loan between 1 January 2013 and the end of the scheme. This figure includes loans that were received before 31 March 2013 but processed after this date.

Employment

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what comparative assessment he has made of the change in the number of jobs in Wales and in other regions in the UK since 2010.

Esther McVey: Since February-April 2010 the number of people in work in Wales has risen by 85,000 to nearly 1.4 million. Its employment rate has increased by over four percentage points, from 67% to 71.1%, the largest rise of any UK region over the period. The employment rate in Wales is at its highest level, and the gap with the UK average at its lowest, since consistent records began in 1992.

Employment and Support Allowance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to prevent applicants for employment and support allowance suffering financial hardship while awaiting a work capability assessment;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to fast track claims for employment and support allowance where the claimant is identified as being at risk of financial hardship; what definition of financial hardship his Department applies; and what role (a) his Department's decision-maker and (b) medical assessors play in making a decision to fast track;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that applications from claimants of employment and support allowance suffering financial hardship are dealt with as a priority.

Michael Penning: Employment and support allowance is designed to prevent hardship by being payable an assessment rate equivalent to the basic rate of jobseeker's allowance (JSA), while awaiting a work capability assessment (WCA) on the basis of medical evidence. New claims for benefit are prioritised to ensure payments are made as speedily as possible after all necessary evidence has been received.
	There is no specific definition of financial hardship but there are specific arrangements in place to fast track claims such as those from people who are terminally ill.
	Although there is no national formal contractual process in place to fast track the WCA, processes have been agreed locally with Atos Healthcare and the intent is that, where a claimant can demonstrate financial hardship, DWP staff can ask Atos Healthcare to urgently undertake the WCA at the earliest opportunity. Where the WCA is not completed within 91 days there are arrangements to automatically backdate arrears to the 92nd day of the claim where the claimant is found to have limited capability for work or work related activity.

Employment and Support Allowance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are available to people appealing an employment and support allowance decision; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Those appealing against a decision can claim either:
	1. Employment and support allowance-where they need to provide continuing medical evidence, or
	2. Jobseeker's allowance-which is available to those who meet the conditions of entitlement, which may be modified to take account of their health condition.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State for Employment in European Committee B on 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 5, in relation to Youth Contract wage incentives, that more than 20,000 have been paid out so far, whether this refers to youth contract wage incentive job starts, or to wage incentives paid out; and to what date the figure refers.

Esther McVey: The first wage incentive statistics were released on 22 July 2013. They showed that from April 2012 up to and including May 2013, there have been 21,460 wage incentive job starts. The next statistics will be released on 25 February 2014.

Food Banks

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on using EU resources to help fund foodbanks.

Esther McVey: Food banks do not form part of the Government’s welfare system.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2014, Official Report, column 583W, on housing benefit: social rented housing, for what reasons the Government's contribution to the overall discretionary housing payments allocation reduced from £180 million in 2013-14 to £165 million in 2014-15 and is planned to increase to £205 million in 2015-16.

Esther McVey: As announced in the autumn statement, discretionary housing payment (DHP) funding will actually be increased by £40 million in 2014-15 to £165 million, from the previously announced figure of £125 million. This reflects the longer transitional period many claimants will face and gives local authorities the confidence they need to make longer-term awards where people cannot reasonably move home or access other mitigations. The overall reduction compared with 2013-14 reflects the expectation that DHPs will be a temporary transitional measure for many, particularly those affected by the introduction of the benefit cap. As such, the DHP allocation for the benefit cap reduces from £65 million in 2013-14 to £45 million in 2014-15.
	To reflect the commitment made in the autumn statement to maintain the support available for those affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy the Department has increased the DHP allocation for this policy from £55 million in 2013-14 to £60 million in 2014-15.
	The Government has not announced plans to increase DHP allocations to £205 million in 2015-16. Details for 2015-16 will be announced in due course.

Jobcentre Plus

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the content and purpose are of performance improvement plans for jobcentre staff; how many staff have a performance improvement plan at each jobcentre; how such plans relate to staff disciplinary procedures and performance assessment; and for what purpose statistics relating to such plans are reported to and maintained by his Department.

Esther McVey: Performance improvement plans are used in relation to poor performance. Their purpose is to provide the employee with the necessary support and an agreed approach through which they can achieve a satisfactory level of performance.
	There were 101 performance improvement plans in place across the whole of work services directorate (which cover jobcentres) as at 31 January 2014, which equates to less than 0.2% of our headcount. This data changes daily.
	Performance improvement plans do not feature in disciplinary decisions.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus is funding employment support through Community Drug and Alcohol services; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus does not fund employment support for community drug and alcohol services. However, where Jobcentre Plus identifies that a claimant would benefit from this support, they can and do refer people to treatment providers.
	The Department for Work and Pensions does provide a range of help and support for claimants with drug and/or alcohol dependency. The Department's approach involves: early identification of claimants with drug and/or alcohol dependency; referring claimants who are not in treatment to a voluntary discussion with a local treatment provider to discuss their dependency issues and treatment options; offering claimants with drug and/or alcohol dependency early access to the Work programme, where they can receive flexible and personalised support to help them return to work; and building strong and effective relationships with external partners such as treatment and Work programme providers.
	The Department is also working with Work programme providers to better enable them to identify claimants with drug and/or alcohol dependency. The valuable work Jobcentre Plus does to identify claimants with substance abuse issues, and notify the provider at referral, will have a positive impact on people's journey through recovery into employment.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures have been put in place in jobcentres to deal with the consequences of the removal of warm phones from jobcentres.

Esther McVey: Jobcentres are moving to an assisted service model and providing digital access to job search and benefit applications. As a consequence, we are removing warm phones from local jobcentres. Claimants who are vulnerable or unable to access our services in other ways will be assisted at their local office to resolve any queries that they have.

Northern Ireland

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assets his Department has sold in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the value of each such sale was.

Michael Penning: The Department for Work and Pensions does not directly own assets in Northern Ireland. Assets employed directly in the delivery of benefits are owned by the Social Security Agency (SSA) in the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland (DSD).
	Details of assets and liabilities (including disposals) held by the Department for Work and Pensions and its non-departmental public bodies are published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts via the Statement of Financial Position accessible via the link below:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments[]-department-for-work-pensions&publication_type=corporate-reports

Pay

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) contract staff in his Department are paid the living wage or above.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) on 29 January 2014, Official Report, column 631W.

Poverty: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2013, Official Report, columns 759-60W, on poverty, on what date he expects to publish the Government's response to the consultation on measuring child poverty.

Esther McVey: We remain committed to ending child poverty. We need to build better measures of child poverty that drive the right action to tackle the root causes of child poverty. It is important that we take the time to get this right. We have listened carefully to what experts on measurement and those working with poor families have told us.
	The complexity of the issue means that we need to take time to ensure we have the best option for measuring child poverty. We will publish our response as soon as we can.

Poverty: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the probability of meeting the commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

Esther McVey: The Government remains committed to eradicating child poverty and the Act. Our approach seeks to tackle the root causes of child poverty and our evidence shows that we should focus on tackling worklessness and educational failure.
	We do not believe you can accurately project that far ahead and we know that poverty projections are rarely accurate. For example, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) projections in October 2011 suggested the number of children in relative poverty would fall by 100,000 in 2010-11, whereas in fact it fell by 300,000.

Poverty: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend or replace the Child Poverty Act 2010 as a result of his Department's consultation on measuring child poverty.

Esther McVey: We remain committed to the Child Poverty Act. We also understand that poverty is about more than income alone and that is why we need to focus on the root causes.
	We have no plans at this time to change the Child Poverty Act 2010.

Poverty: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measure he will assess on whether the Government has met the commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

Esther McVey: The Child Poverty Act 2010 sets four income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020. The targets are based on the proportion of children living in households with relative low income, combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty (all before housing costs have been taken into account).
	1. Relative low income-measures the proportion of children living in the UK who are in households with income below 60% of contemporary median.
	2. Combined low income and material deprivation-measures the proportion of children in the UK who are in households with income below 70% of the contemporary median who also experience material deprivation.
	3. Absolute low income-measures the number of children in the UK who are in households with income below 60% of 2010-11 median income, held constant in real terms.
	4. Persistent poverty-measures the proportion of children in Great Britain who have been in relative low income poverty for at least three of the latest four years.
	We need to build better measures of child poverty that drive the right action to tackle the root causes of child poverty. It is important that we take the time to get this right. We have listened carefully to what experts on measurement and those working with poor families have told us.
	The complexity of the issue means that we need to take time to ensure we have the best option for measuring child poverty. We will publish our response as soon as we can.

Procurement

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken following the conviction of A4E employees for fraud; and what steps he has taken to prevent similar abuse in other companies which are contracted to provide services by his Department.

Esther McVey: The Department treats any allegations of fraud by its contracted providers very seriously. The Department has robust control and assurance arrangements in place to guard against fraudulent claims being made by providers.
	The only conviction of an A4e employee was in 2009. This case, the current police investigation and recent court appearances involving A4e employees, relate to historic programmes. The implementation of the Work programme enhanced a number of fraud prevention controls and to date there have been no cases of fraud within this programme.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many public appointments his Department made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

Remploy: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workers made redundant as a result of the closure of Remploy in South Gyle, Edinburgh are (a) seeking work, (b) no longer seeking work and (c) in employment.

Michael Penning: Of the 28 workers made redundant as a result of the closure of Remploy in South Gyle, Edinburgh we are able to provide information on the 26 disabled former employees who have given consent to be tracked. As at 24 January 2014 records show that (a) 10 are seeking work, (b) 9 are no longer seeking work and (c) 7 are in employment.

Social Security Benefits

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the backlog is of employment and support allowance and jobseeker's allowance claims at each jobcentre.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available at that level of detail.
	However, we are able to provide details of claims outstanding at a national level.
	For employment and support allowance, at the end of December 2013, the volume of claims outstanding was 5,689. This equates to 1.6 days average receipts (average taken from October to December) and includes cases where further information is awaited from the customer.
	For jobseeker’s allowance, at the end of December 2013, the volume of claims outstanding was 22,562. This equates to 2.1 days average receipts (average taken from October to December) and includes cases where further information is awaited from the customer.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the backlog is of personal independence payment and disability living allowance claims at each regional disability benefit centre.

Michael Penning: Personal independence payment (PIP) started from April 2013 and although limited data has started to feed through, we need to wait until the Department has quality assured, meaningful figures for publication. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish official statistics on personal independence payment from spring 2014.
	In order to manage the gap between PIP go-live and the first release of Official Statistics in spring 2014, an ad-hoc release of PIP management information is planned on 11 February 2014.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on fraud rates among (i) EEA and (ii) EU migrants claiming UK benefits; and what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of such fraud.

Esther McVey: The data are not available in the format requested.

Staff

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes in the number of staff are proposed for each (a) regional disability benefit centre and (b) jobcentre.

Esther McVey: Staffing allocations at this level are still in discussion and will be finalised in the next few months.

Work Capability Assessment: Coventry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Coventry have undergone a work capability assessment in each of the last three years.

Michael Penning: The information we have for new employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who underwent work capability assessments is shown in the table.
	
		
			 All new claims to employment and support allowance (ESA) that underwent work capability assessments in Coventry local authority: April 2010 to March 2013 
			 Period Caseload 
			 April to March  
			 2010 to 2011 3,800 
			 2011 to 2012 4,200 
			 2012 to 2013 4,100 
			 Notes: 1. There is a reporting lag of approximately eight months at the issuing date of this statistical output owing to the time needed to process data and time allowed to enable each cohort's assessment phase to elapse. 2. Figures are rounded to nearest 100. 3. Figures include those cases where the functional assessment has not been completed. Source: Department for Work and Pensions benefit administration dataset.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the performance of Work Programme drug and alcohol pilots.

Esther McVey: DWP is currently assessing the performance and looking at how the processes are working for the Recovery Works and Recovery and Employment Pilots.
	Qualitative evaluation is currently under way with first wave interim findings due in summer 2014. The second wave is scheduled in autumn 2014 and an interim report is due spring 2015.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Work Programme providers are using an IPS intervention to assist clients with mental health problems into work.

Esther McVey: Work programme providers deliver services flexibly to support the needs of individual participants. The Department does not hold information on the extent to which individual participants use Individual Placement and Support (IPS) interventions.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to draw on customer experience of the Work Programme to inform the planning of its replacement after 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: We have already commissioned an independent evaluation of the programme.
	Those findings, as well as feedback from the industry will inform decisions.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether, if a Work Programme customer rearranges an appointment with their provider, the provider is required to report to his Department the customer's non-attendance for the originally planned appointment.

Esther McVey: If a Work programme participant rearranges an appointment their provider will discuss the reasons why with them. Providers are not required to report a participant's non-attendance at, or rearrangement of, appointments unless the action raises a compliance doubt. The parameters a provider works to when raising a compliance doubt can be found in chapter 6 of provider guidance through the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-programme-dwp-provider-guidance

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the current definition of Payment Group 6 in the Work Programme differs from the definition in the Work Programme invitation to tender, which limited participants in Payment Group 6 to customers expected to be fit for work in three months.

Esther McVey: Work programme memo 68 which gave providers information about this change can be found in the National Archive website through the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/work-programme-provider-live-running-memos

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

CPS Direct

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 1W on CPS Direct, what proportion of calls to CPS Direct were answered within three minutes in 2013; and what the average queuing time was in each month.

Oliver Heald: The data for 2013-14 to date is contained in the following table.
	
		
			 2013-14 Calls answered in three minutes (%) Average queuing time for all calls answered 
			 April 69 04:42 
			 May 64 07:27 
			 June 75 03:30 
			 July 55 07:08 
			 August 67 05:08 
			 September 58 06:16 
			 October 77 02:35 
			 November 78 02:50 
			 December 79 03:03 
			 January 76 02:54 
		
	
	The call handling system used by the Crown Prosecution Service offers the police officer an automatic facility to receive a call back if the call is not answered within one minute. The data on calls answered within three minutes and average queuing time of all calls includes the time taken to make the 'call back'.

Prosecutions: Northamptonshire

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions for (a) rape, (b) other violent crimes and (c) burglary there were in Northamptonshire in 2013; and what proportion of such prosecutions were successful.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the Principal Offence Category (POC) of each defendant prosecuted. The POC indicates the most serious offence with which the defendant is charged at the time the case is finalised.
	With rape offences the CPS identify rape prosecutions through a database monitoring flag which is applied to the electronic record at the onset of a case.
	The number of recorded prosecutions in 2013 for burglary, violent crime and rape in Northamptonshire are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			 Prosecutions in Northamptonshire 20131 
			  Prosecutions Convictions Proportion (%) 
			 Burglary 279 228 81.7 
			 Violent Crime 1,472 1,119 76.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Rape2 46 35 76.1 
			 1 The CPS collects data to assist in the effective management of its prosecution functions. The CPS does not collect data which constitutes official statistics as defined in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. These data have been drawn from the CPS's administrative IT system, which (as with any large scale recording system) is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the CPS. 2 The rape monitoring flag applied to the electronic case record will remain in place even if the rape charges are subsequently amended or dropped. If a case commences under a different offence but at a later date charges of rape are preferred the flag is applied at that point.

Public Appointments

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Attorney-General how many public appointments the Law Officers' Departments made in the last 12 months; how many such appointments are remunerated posts; what the level of such remuneration is; and how many people so appointed are (a) women and (b) men.

Oliver Heald: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 February 2014, Official Report, column 301W.

CABINET OFFICE

Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of children living in households where one or both parents are (a) working part-time because they are unable to find full-time work and (b) employed on a zero hours contract.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated February 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate has been made of the number of children living in households where one or both parents are (a) working part-time because they are unable to find full-time work and (b) employed on a zero hours contract (186513).
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics for people working in part-time jobs because they could not find a full time post from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Using this survey we have been able to calculate the number of children living in families where one or both parents were working in part-time jobs because they could not find full-time posts. This number is supplied in the attached table. Please note, as with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	Estimates relating to zero-hour contracts are also available from the LFS; however, full estimates of the total number of people in employment on such contracts are not available from this source. This is, in part, due to reporting error as respondents may fail to identify their type of employment contract correctly. Therefore we have not been able to state how many children are living in families where one or both parents are working on zero hour contracts.
	
		
			 Number of children aged 0 to 15, living in families1 where at least one parent was working in a part-time job because they could not find a full-time job, UK, April to June 2013 
			  Thousand 
			 Number of Children 646 
			 1 These numbers include couple families, one parent families and families that are living in a household with more than one family unit. Source: LFS Household Datasets.

Disability

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of working age adults are currently registered as disabled in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Nick Hurd: The information requested is not held by the Cabinet Office.

Drugs: Death

Julian Brazier: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths were attributable to legal highs in the last year for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Caron Walker, dated February 2014
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths were attributable to legal highs in the last year for which data is available. (186259)
	There is no official definition of the term ‘legal high’. However the Office for National Statistics does monitor deaths from drug-related poisoning, allowing analysis of deaths by specific substances involved.
	In recent years a number of novel psychoactive substances have been controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. These include gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its precursor gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), piperazines (benzylpiperazine—BZP and trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine—TFMPP), pipradrols such as desoxypipradrol, and cathinones such as mephedrone. Cathinone is one of the active ingredients in herbal Khat (Catha edulis), although Khat is not currently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. All of these substances have been mentioned in association with the term ‘legal high’, although it should be noted that once a substance is added to the list of substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 it is no longer ‘legal’.
	There were 52 drug-related deaths mentioning these substances in England and Wales, registered in 2012 (the latest year available). It is important to note that around 60% of these deaths mentioned more than one substance on the death certificate, and it is not possible to tell which was primarily responsible for the death. More information on how to interpret data on drug-related deaths can be found in the bulletin at the link.
	The number of drug-related deaths registered in England and Wales between 1993 and 2012 are available on the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/2012/index.html

Government Departments: Procurement

Simon Burns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government contracts of what value have been awarded to companies or projects based in (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex local authority area.

Nick Hurd: Since January 2011, details of Government contracts over the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder at:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	Contracts Finder is not yet configured to identify suppliers within a specific constituency or local authority area.

Immigration: China

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Chinese nationals are currently residing and working in the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Jil Matheson, dated February 2014
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many Chinese nationals are currently residing and working in the UK.
	The latest estimates that are available for the number of Chinese nationals resident and in employment in the UK are both derived from Annual Population Survey (APS) data for the 12 month period, January to December 2012.
	The estimated number of Chinese nationals resident in households in the UK was 87,000, with a corresponding margin of error of +/-13,000. The margin of error refers to the 95 percent confidence interval and is a measure of the uncertainty associated with making inferences from, a sample.
	The estimated number of Chinese nationals in employment in the UK was 28,000.
	Much of the difference between the number of Chinese nationals resident in the UK and in employment in the UK can be accounted for by Chinese nationals resident in the UK who are students in full-time education and who are not economically active.
	The APS is the Labour Force Survey (LFS) plus various sample boosts. It is a household survey and so does not include people living in most types of communal establishment.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the Government's commitment to give due consideration to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) when making new policy and legislation, if he will place in the Library all assessments of how new policy and legislation from his Department since January 2013 has given due consideration to the UNCRC.

Nick Hurd: The Government considers the impact of all new policies and legislation which impact specifically on children. We will shortly report to the UN Committee responsible for the UN Convention on the Rights of The Child. A copy of our report will be placed in the Library of the House.

Working Hours: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) Merseyside who have jobs which primarily require working (i) during the day and (ii) at night.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Jil Matheson, dated February 2014
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Liverpool and (c) Merseyside who have jobs which primarily require working (i) during the day and (ii) at night. 186849
	Estimates of employment are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). During the survey, people who are identified as being in employment are asked about their regular pattern of work and whether it is usual for them to work (i) during the day, (ii) during the evening and (iii) at night. Respondents can say "yes" to any categories that apply. Estimates derived from this question are available for the Liverpool and Merseyside local authority areas. Estimates for the Liverpool, Walton Parliamentary Constituency are not available because of the limited size of the LFS sample. The available estimates are given in the following table along with the employment total to provide context.
	
		
			 People in employment by usual time of working, April to June 2013 (thousands, not seasonally adjusted) 
			  Usual time of work under regular work pattern1  
			 Local authority During the day During the evening At night Total employment 
			 Liverpool 145 28 11 199 
			 Merseyside 456 100 36 606 
			 1 Respondents can be counted in more than one category. Also, some respondents would not have answered this question. Source: ONS Labour Force Surrey. 
		
	
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. The above estimates all have a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 20%. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV. For example, for an estimate of 100 with a CV of 20% we would expect the true value to be within the range 60-140.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Colombia

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which representatives of (a) human rights organisations, (b) civic society and (c) trades unions he met on his recent visit to Colombia.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 January 2014, Official Report, column 692W.

Elections

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what comparative assessment he has made of the international comparisons relating to (a) levels of voter turnout and registration and (b) compulsory voting and compulsory registration.

Greg Clark: The Government has not made any comparative assessment of the international comparisons relating to (a) levels of voter turnout and registration and (b) compulsory voting and compulsory registration.